The Expendables 4 Confirmed, Here's When It's Coming

They're not getting any younger, but the veteran action stars of The Expendables look set to return for another movie. Variety have confirmed that The Expendables 4 is set to film next year, for a 2017 release.

Even though 2014's The Expendables 3 made less than either of its predecessors, a sizeable proportion of the total gross was taken in China. This has led to considerable Chinese investment in a fourth movie, with SSXH Beijing and Max Screen Film Distribution putting more than $25 million into the production.

The disappointing box office performance of The Expendables 3, which starred Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, and Mel Gibson, has been put down to a combination of the film leaking early onto the Internet, and the decision to make it a PG-13 rather than the R rating of the previous films. In an interview with CraveOnline last year, Stallone admitted that it was a mistake to aim for a lower rating.

"I believe it was a horrible miscalculation on everyone's part in trying to reach a wider audience," he said. "And in doing such, diminish the violence that the audience expects. I'm quite certain it won't happen again."

"In an R-rated film it is difficult to believe that none of the heroes die. I personally just believe that the characters become identifiable and their demise could put a dark cloud over an audience exiting the theatre after seeing the film. But that may change in Expendables 4."