Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis Confirmed for The Expendables 2; More Cast (Possibly) Confirmed as Well
Posted 09.07.11 by Ryan
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis only showed up for one scene in actor-writer-director Sylvester Stallone's 2010 hit Expendables, but the two action stars are set to return for more in the Lionsgate sequel.
Deadline reports that both Schwarzenegger and Willis have inked their deals for The Expendables 2, which will be directed by Simon West (Con Air). The roles are being described as "substantial", meaning that Willis and Schwarzenegger will do more than cameo. Stallone has said that he would like to see Willis play "a super villain," or likely a "super villain" version of his Expendables character, but nothing is confirmed yet.
Production on The Expendables 2 is set to start in October. Schwarzenegger will likely be finished shooting the chase movie The Last Stand with director Ji-woon Kim (The Good, The Bad, and the Weird) by then, while Willis will squeeze in the role before going to Russia to shoot Die Hard 5 with the recently hired director John Moore (Max Payne).
Since this is The Expendables 2, Willis and Schwarzenegger won't be the only aging action stars to take part in the movie. Kickboxer and Double Impact star Jean-Claude Van Damme has been rumored for the sequel as early as January, and tentatively "confirmed" by both Moviehole and (via The Playlist) an article in The LA Times. Both reports also confirm the participation of Texas Ranger Chuck Norris, while the Times piece includes John Travolta and Moviehole adds Scott Adkins (Undisputed III: Redemption) to the cast. It's believed that Van Damme and Adkins would play antagonists in the movie, with Norris' role more a cameo, though, the reports could also stem from recent casting rumors which seek to add every remaining action star not cast in the original.
What is more likely is that Stallone will again team with Jason Statham, Jet Li, Terry Crews and Dolph Lundgren, the team that helped the original earn $274 million in worldwide box office. Lionsgate has already set a August 17, 2012 release date for Expendables 2, which is reportedly written by screenwriters Ken Kaufman (Space Cowboys) and David Agosto with help from Stallone.