THE EXPENDABLES 4 Locks and Loads For 2017 Release

Sylvester Stallone is refusing to let The Expendables franchise die. I thought the first movie was disappointing, and actually thought the goofier tone of the second one was an improvement, but so many people said the third one was terrible that I didn't even bother going to see it. But dismal reviews and less than $40 million in domestic grosses aren't stopping Sly: the third film made over $165 million overseas, meaning that there's still enough interest worldwide in seeing a bunch of old guys beat the crap out of each other that The Expendables 4 is a sure thing.

Variety reports that the movie has received (at least partial) Chinese funding and will have a budget of over $100 million. The movie is going to film a little in China — no surprise, considering the current state of the film industry — in 2016 with plans for a release in 2017.

Stallone himself admits that the third movie's PG-13 rating was a disastrous, monumentally stupid decision, saying he's going back to an R rating this time:

"Absolutely unequivocally yes. I believe it was a horrible miscalculation on everyone’s part in trying to reach a wider audience, but in doing such, diminish the violence that the audience expects. I’m quite certain it won’t happen again."

He's also teased a bit about what the story might entail:

"I have actually entertained the idea of putting the group into such an unnatural environment that it, in an of itself, creates extra suspense and tension: the 'fish out of water' scenario. That environment might not be time travel, but nearly just as jarring."

Is anyone excited for another Expendables movie?