Eclectic Pictures and Hollywood Ventures Group are reviving 'Expendabelles,' an all-female expansion of 'The Expendables' franchise, with plans unveiled at the Cannes Film Festival.
Project History
Since the first 'Expendables' movie in 2010, which grossed over $100 million, filmmakers have sought to create a female-led version. In 2014, director Robert Luketic was set to helm a script by Kirsten Smith and Karen McCullah, focusing on female operatives posing as call girls to rescue a nuclear scientist. However, this version never materialized.
Jeffrey Greenstein of Millennium Films stated that one challenge was justifying a female team within the franchise's context. The original 'Expendables' featured a star-studded male cast, including Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
New Vision
Eclectic and HVG are now moving forward with a new origin story set in the late 1990s, during Y2K tension. This reimagined 'Expendabelles' aims to introduce elite female operatives in a stylized action-driven film. Backed by Lionsgate, which acquired the 'Expendables' rights last year, the film seeks to blend franchise mythology with fresh storytelling.
Production Details
Heidi Jo Markel of Eclectic and Glenn Gainor of HVG are leading the production, with executive producers including Sandy Climan and Nelly Kim. They are actively assembling creative talent for the project, which is part of a slate of globally commercial films.
Markel expressed excitement about reimagining the property on a larger scale. “There has always been a strong global appetite for female-driven action franchises,” she said, emphasizing the opportunity to pair the material with top-tier talent.
Industry Context
The 'Expendabelles' project emerges in a challenging market for female-led action films. Previous efforts like 'The 355' and the 'Charlie's Angels' reboot struggled at the box office, highlighting the difficulties in this genre. Despite past hurdles, producers believe the timing is right to introduce a bold new generation of action heroes.
Gainor sees this project as a chance to honor the original franchise while evolving it in a timely, commercially appealing way. “This is a world audiences know, but we’re introducing them to it in a way they’ve never seen before,” he noted.
Source: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/expendabelles-all-female-action-spinoff-expendables-movie-1236596725/
