While Sylvester Stallone was the driving force behind the first instalment of The Expendables, it would seem he’s opting to take things a little easier on the quickly gestating sequel.
The LA Times’ 24 Frames blog has heard from a connected source that while Stallone is still very much involved with the new outing, and is developing it for Millennium Films, he doesn’t currently plan to direct it. He’s apparently been on the hunt for someone to take over the megaphone, although no one has been chosen just yet.
And while he had collaborators on the first movie’s script, it would appear he’s handed over the lion’s share of the work this time to David Agosto and Ken Kaufman.
None of this is official yet, and Millennium didn’t offer any comment when approached by the paper. And there’s always the chance that Sly could decide to lower himself into the director’s chair once more. But after putting himself through the ringer both in front of and behind the camera, and turning The Expendables into a surprisingly muscular hit at the box office, it seems only fair that he’ll stick to just starring this time around.
Finally, the Times’ story suggests that Sly’s old mucker Arnold Schwarzenegger might actually take a bigger role this time, now that he’s free of the California governor’s office. While Arnie has said he’s ready to jump back into movies and is mulling several scripts, it remains to be seen whether he wants to heft a gun and go run around with Stallone and co.