"If this does perform, I think it will open a little more liquidity in funding the sequel," Stallone said. "I have an idea ready to go. People think doing a sequel is easy, but it's not because you need the element of surprise. I'm going to try to do something that's quite radical."

Stallone is 64 right now, so he'd better hope that The Expendables performs - at least here in the states. The movie is poised to do blockbuster business overseas, where action stars still carry some clout. (Who do you think is renting all those straight-to-DVD Steven Seagal and Jean Claude Van Damme movies?) That said, the movie is tracking extremely well here, and is looking at an opening weekend upward of $30 million, which might be enough to get the ball rolling on Expendables 2. (The Expendables Return? MORE Expendables?)

The opening weekend will no doubt be watched by all of Hollywood; as I wrote in my box office report earlier this week, the 13th sees three high profile releases, in Expendables, Eat Pray Love and Scott Pilgrim vs The World. Will the big boys trounce the chick flick and the whiny wannabe rocker? Would be pretty embarrassing if they didn't, eh?

Source: L.A. Times