The fourth installment of the Expendables franchise, produced by Lionsgate and Millenium, debuted in theatres with $3.2 million in Friday box office receipts. The total on Friday includes $750,000 from Thursday night previews.
According to some high-end projections, the Millenium-financed movie had a $100 million budget and aimed for an opening weekend of between $15 million and $17 million. However, recent reports indicate that it will likely total approximately $8 million. Even better would be The Nun II.
Along with former actors Dolph Lundgren and Randy Couture, Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham return to the blow-em-up series. The Expendables are described as “the world’s last line of defense” and “the team that gets called when all other options are off the table” in the movie’s official synopsis. The term “new blood” will take on a whole new meaning thanks to the new squad members’ unique approaches and strategies. In addition to Andy Gracia, other newcomers to the series include Megan Fox, 50 Cent, Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, Jacob Scipio, and Levy Tran.
The most recent Expendables movie has been in theatres for over ten years. The first three Expendables films, which were released in 2010, 2012, and 2014, have raked in a staggering $800 million worldwide. The most recent movie to be released in theatres, “The Revenant,” made $15.8 million in its first weekend and went on to make $214 million worldwide. The 2012 follow-up debuted at $28.5 million, compared to the 2010 original’s $34.8 million debut.
The movie received a lukewarm response from critics, who stated in their THR review of it: “This edition… is a sub-par Jason Statham vehicle (after this and Meg 2: The Trench, some quality control might be for the actor) featuring a brief cameo by Stallone and several new cast members who fail to make much of an impression… indicates that it’s time to put a fork in the series; it’s done.”
A limited distribution of Sony’s Dumb Money is available elsewhere. The GameStop stock market narrative, which dominated news cycles during the COVID-19 outbreak and served as the basis for multiple Hollywood movies, was the subject of a film by I, Tonya director Craig Gillespie. The ensemble cast includes actors including Pete Davidson, Shailene Woodley, Seth Rogen, Paul Dano, and Seth Rogen.
Holdovers at the box office include The Nun II from New Line/Warner, which is entering its third weekend with over $160 million in revenues, and A Haunting in Venice from Disney and Kenneth Branagh, the third film in his series of Agatha Christie-inspired films, which is currently in its second weekend.
