The Expandables was one of the successful franchises in the rising as they starred actors like Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and many other top-listed actors from the industry. The franchise was resulting into a thriving one at that time when many others failed due to the sudden rise of multi-billion dollar franchises such as the MCU. The first movie of the trilogy was released in 2010 and it attracted the attention of many with its immense fighting scenes. The trilogy was a very successful one but it could have been more if not for a sludge between star actors Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Willis.
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Bruce Willis’ Ultimatum of $4 Million for 4 Days
The cast of Bruce Willis in Expandables 1 cast was received with a very positive response as it was a huge surprise to his fans that he made a cameo in the movie. The movie was also a huge success at the box office as it collected a total of more than $274 million and it was obvious that he would make a comeback in the sequel released in 2012.
Fans were very excited to watch him star in the thrilling sequel and somewhat due to his wide presence in the Hollywood industry, the sequel, The Expendables 2 was more well-received at the box office with an amassed total of almost $315 million collected worldwide. With such successful movies under its belt, it was a given a third was incoming after a while it was announced to be released in 2014.
Bruce Willis
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So following this trend, the third movie was supposed to be an even bigger hit, but it was only because of Bruce Willis’ wild ultimatum that the franchise fell apart after its third. It is reported that Bruce Willis was offered a lump sum of $3 million for only 4 days of filming but he discourteously rejected this offer and made a counteroffer of $4 million. Eventually, everyone on set and Bruce Willis had a falling out and he made his exit from the franchise. It seemed that Willis was completely unaffected by this situation as he brushed it over as if it was nothing too concerning.
Sylvester Stallone’s Beef With Bruce Willis Over Money
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, a reliable source claimed that the fallout between Bruce Willis and the rest of the crew spearheaded by Sylvester Stallone happened due to the money issue. The source said that Bruce Willis claimed, “He said he’d drop out unless he got $4 million” which was simultaneously rejected by the cast and the production company. The third movie experienced a downfall after his exit and did not gather the points to continue their franchise for a fourth for almost a decade.
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While Bruce Willis exited the franchise, Sylvester Stallone said some heated words towards the Die Hard actor which was very unprofessional from his side as at that time it seemed that Bruce Willis was present on the set for some quick bucks. Stallone later apologized for his rudeness and his inexperienced approach toward the situation, he said,
“It sounded like it got personal and I’m sorry it did sound that way. But it was actors talking and things move on. I think Bruce Willis is a great guy and he does fantastically entertaining films and when he nails it he nails it big time”
Even though they had a fierce fallout over money, later on, they handled it like professionals and patched things up and have gone their separate ways to be more successful than a mere $4 million.
The Expendables 4 is expected to hit the theatres on 22 September 2023.
The Expendables is available for streaming on HBO Max.
Source: The Things
