MovieChat Forums > The Expendables 3 (2014) Discussion > if an Expendables had been made in 1995?

if an Expendables had been made in 1995?

posted 11 years ago by bozo_500
40 replies | jump to latest

Starring the Exp3 cast with the addition of B Willis, C Norris (pre 'Facts'), plus JCVD in the Lee Christmas role, and various 'non Expendable' guys like SSegal/CWeathers/KRussell/KReeves etc instead of Couture/Crews/Fraiser/Twilight kid etc....& old timers like Clint, Connery, Charlton Heston, Charles Bronson in brief cameos (very brief LOL cameos like Connery at the end of Robin Hood, Heston in True Lies/Waynes World)

so ideally the cast would've been -

main roles - Stallone, Schwarzenegger, Willis, JCVD, MGibson
supporting - Lungren, Snipes, Norris, Segal, Weathers, Russell, Reeves, Swayze, Biehn, Paxton, Glover, Busey, Davi, Dalton etc (obviously not all of those guys would've been in it)
cameos - Ford, Clint, Connery, Heston, Bronson
women - maybe Demi Moore or Sharon Stone, & Pam Anderson (Lee Christmas' gfriend)

director - John McTiernan or Renny Harlin or Sly himself.

rating - R

itd have just been the one film (no sequels) - a one off event

How much box office?

wkend/domestic/fore

[–] scabab 11 years ago

It would have probably have done around $400 million or so worldwide.

[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] scabab 11 years ago

$800 million . Be serious.

[–] arthur-teroganesian 11 years ago

Its fûckïng 1995 yes he's serious. A Stallone/Schwarzenegger movie in 1995 would have been huge. And if you add Wesly Snipes, Mel Gibson, Ford, Lundgren, and Banderas to that list because they were one of the biggest stars at the time, people would kill to see it. then adjusted by inflation roughly around $800 mil.

[–] fme008 11 years ago

Wouldn't 1995 still be a little late.? I was thinking something like 1988.

[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] scabab 11 years ago

Its f�ck�ng 1995 yes he's serious.

The movie wouldn't have had a snowballs chance in hell at making $800 million back in 1995.

It making enough in 1995 that it'd be equal to $800 million in 2014 however would be very likely.

[–] loulou1992 10 years ago

Are you young ? Stupid? Seriously it of hit nearly if not a billion. Those guys was the best pf thr best making 100 mill alone eaxh in.the US plus nearly 200 - 300 ww so the full globe wouldnt be stupid to bypass an event like that.

[–] scabab 10 years ago

A billion lol. I don't think you understand how box office works, they don't stack up like you think they do.

Plus a billion back then is like The Avengers money now.

[–] loulou1992 10 years ago

Thats the whole point. You put Avengers in 95 with A Arnold/Sly/Mel film... Avengers would lose

[–] scabab 10 years ago

It probably would as it was a time before comic book movies really took off. Your hypothetical movie would have been very successful but nowhere comparable to what The Avengers actually did for it's time.

[–] bozo_500 10 years ago

an Expendables would've made about a billion in adjusted dollars if it had come out in the mid 90s.

they should've done it as when it eventually came no one was that bothered :(

[–] loulou1992 10 years ago

I agree but i think it would of killed DH3.

Caroloco would of made a lucrative deal that would make all happy.

Same as Cannon in 88 was making a Ex film with Bronson, Norris and other young American Ninja kid but never happened. That would of been cannons biggest but their problem was onny leaving a film in cinemas 2 weeks tops. Death wish 3 opened at number one then 2 nd week.still there but 3rd week they was droppin it so they make it look like a pathetic gross. If Bronson was with better studios hed of got 20-40 mill a film.

[–] cybopath 11 years ago

It would have made a lot but it might have cost a lot too. Arnie and Sly demanding 25 mil each, Van Damme etc getting 15 mil... shot on location, real stunt work.. oh man.

[–] bozo_500 11 years ago

I think ive worked it out - today rough estimate in ()

wkend = 50m (80-90m)
domestic = 200m (350m)
foreign = 350m (600m)
total = 550m (900m-1b)

biggest movie in 1995 was DH3 - 22m opening/100m dom/266m for = 366m...and True Lies in 94 was #3 for the year - 25m/146m/232m = 378m. but I think an Expendable movie (with the cast a described in the OP) would've done similar BO to the likes of T2 (520m in 91), ID4 (800m in 96) & Jurassic Park 2 (620m in 97)

the problem would've been how the *beep* would Sly have got everyone together back then?! (the King Kong sized egos!) and managed to have a realistic budget of $150m max (which would've made it the most expensive film ever at that point - T2 was 100m in 91, True Lies cost 115m in 94, WaterWorld 175m in 95 but thats because it went crazy out of control)

theyd have had to have compromised abit and taken pay reductions to get it made (back in the 90s all the big names were getting 20m+ per film) - e.g. Sly, Arnie, Wiliis & M Gibson on about 10-15m each, JCVD on about 5-7m, the supporting cast like Lungren/Snipes etc would vary anywhere between 2-5m each (depending on their star power at the time and how big the role was), and the big name cameos like Ford, Clint, Connery etc would've had to have taken something like $1m as theyd have only worked a day or even a couple of hours (basically just to get them in the picture.) So about half the 150m budget on securing the cast before any work on the film started!..plus no doubt some wouldve got % points as a result of taking reduced fees so the studio (or studios as it probably would've had to have been a joint production back then) probably would've been lucky to see any profit!

[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] bozo_500 11 years ago

naturally

[–] MadDog-ThrashTillDeath 11 years ago

now that would've been the highest grossing film ever! ...

- Thundering chords is what life's all about - Gerre

[–] bozo_500 11 years ago

now that would've been the highest grossing film ever! ...

wouldve def been in top 10 back then, in amongst all the big Spielberg/Lucas/Cameron movies (maybe even top 5)

[–] MadDog-ThrashTillDeath 11 years ago

#1 if cameron directed!

- Thundering chords is what life's all about - Gerre

[–] bozo_500 11 years ago

no way Cameron would've directed, but if he had there would've been about 15 Oscars and 1b box office

[–] MadDog-ThrashTillDeath 11 years ago

That's right and maybe he would've done after The Expendables 2: Titanic Assault ... and erased titanic from the face of earth!

- Thundering chords is what life's all about - Gerre

[–] bthr 11 years ago

jackie chan got his world-wide reputation with rush hour. before that he was just a chinese actor (and very famous in china) and not well known in america.

[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] bud-47 11 years ago

As awesome as it would have been, with everyone in their prime, this never would have happened back then. Their egos were too big at the time. The only reason they're doing this now is because their careers are winding down and they'll say yes to basically anything.

[–] bozo_500 11 years ago

That's true

[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] bozo_500 10 years ago

16m opening in 2014

probably 100m opening in 1994

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] UpIn-Hurr 10 years ago

If this would have been made in 1995 Arnold would have without a doubt have the biggest role out of all of them, which would have been a problem for Sly. Dolph would have probably said yes since his career has been mostly straight to DVD. Van Damme back then would have been coked up out of his mind, could have been fun to see lol....
Who would be the bad guy though, keep it being Gibson? Add Gary Busey??

[–] loulou1992 10 years ago

JAMES WOOD HAS THE ULTIMATE BAD GUY

[–] bozo_500 10 years ago

similar article to OP:
http://www.manlymovie.net/2015/02/what-if-expendables-ii-was-made-in-9 0s.html

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] dannyvazmon1 8 years ago

The careers of Stallone, Arnold, Van Damme, Gibson, and Willis peaked in the late 80's to very early 90's. By 1995 their careers were already going downhill. Yes it would have been a decent hit, but not the record setting mega blockbuster some of you claim it would have been. In 1988, maybe.

[–] stevegrayston-75-221538 8 years ago

ha no they didnt , they were making big box office till around 96, Gibson and Wills all way to the 00s

nobody knew who jcvd was in 1988 !

[–] seanwhelan2310 (575) 4 years ago

Also Christopher Lambert, Brian Thompson, Vernon Welles, Roddy Piper, "Stone Cold" Brian Bosworth, Jesse Ventura, Don "The Dragon" Wilson, Bruce Payne, Daniel Bernhardt and James Woods