‘Expend4bles’ director Scott Waugh has hinted the action franchise will return for a fifth instalment without leading man Sylvester Stallone.
The stuntman-turned-director took charge of the fourth film in the series which stars Stallone and Jason Statham alongside stars including Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson and Megan Fox - but Stallone previously hinted insisted it will be his last outing as a member of the crack team of mercenaries.
However, Scott is adamant there will be more movies in the 'Expendables' series as long as there's demand from fans, telling The Hollywood Reporter: "I think the door in any franchise is wide open when the fans want one. I mean, how many times have you and I heard that? They said the same thing on John Wick, but they’re talking about John Wick 5 now. So if the fans want one, Hollywood’s not shallow enough to deny the money possibility."
Stallone previously insisted he would not return to the franchise after the fourth film, saying in video post on Instagram: "It’s time to be moving on,. This will be my last day, so I’m enjoying it but it’s always bittersweet, you know … When something you’ve been so attached to, I guess it’s been about 12 years, and I’m ready to pass the baton on to [Jason Statham] and his capable hands."
In his interview, Scott went on to reveal he added "special sauce" to the fourth film by bringing in Jackie Chan's stunt team to work on the fight sequences.
The moviemaker explained: "I really wanted to elevate the fights. And having just worked with Jackie’s Hong Kong stunt team, I went to Jason Statham and I was like, “Hey man, what if we brought in [stunt coordinator] Alan Ng from Jackie’s stunt team to really bring some special sauce to the film?” And he was super excited about it, so that’s how it came to be on this film. "
The director joined the project after the script was already finished so working on the action was his way of making a mark on the movie. He added: "I just came in to direct the film and hopefully elevate some of the action and try to lean into some of the fun."