2 German Reviews: (Google Translated)

1st Review.


2nd Review.

EX2 TV Spot No 5 - New Scenes

A brand new TV Spot, No 5 with scenes that have never been screened before.

EX2 TV Spots - Italian Version

You've seen them before, here they are again but in Italian. No offense to French, German, Spanish or any other languages, but I've always had a small preference for the Italian dubbed versions...

EX2 Complete Production Info.

Check out our updated Cast & Crew section (scroll all the way down once you get there). Lots of good stuff including some minor spoilers.

-Complete Description of Characters

-The Endangered American Action Hero

-Action Stars of The World Unite

-What Makes an Action Hero?

-Bulgarian Rhapsody

-ABOUT THE CAST - Full details including not-seen-before quotes from Stallone & the producers on the cast!

-ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

EX2 Featurette Screenshots

Is this Lubo?

EX2 Canadian Advance Screening Contest

Dose.ca has launched a contest for the Canadian fans. You can win passes to the advance screening of EX2 in Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto & Vancouver. For more details click here.

EX2 Billboards From Around the Wolrd

We gathered a few pictures from EX2 Billboards displayed in different countries. As we come across more pictures we'll include them in this post.

EX2 Behind the Scenes Featurette

In a new behind-the-scenes featurette, Sly says that getting so many all-star actors together is a feast that may never happen again. 

“Everyone in this movie has had a very stellar career. To get them all together at one time is a minor miracle. It makes it very special because you’re never, ever going to see this again. 

Most of the actions films today are very, highly technical, and so the Expendables films got to bring back some of that old-time rock 'n' roll.”

EX2 Cancels Israel Premiere Following Death of Stallone’s Son

Stallone has cancelled the Israel premiere of EX2, due to changes in his schedule, following the death of his son Sage two weeks ago.

Stallone, Statham, Van Damme, Willis, and Lundgren were expected in Israel for the movie’s premiere on August 8. 

In an email, a spokesman from the film’s production company explained the cancellation of the premiere.

“I’m sure you heard about the Stallone family’s tragedy that happened in recent weeks. In response to the unfortunate event we are forced to cancel our Israel premiere, because Sly will not be able to attend, as well as the other actors, due to changes in schedule.”

“Please accept our apologies for cancelling at such short notice,” he added, noting a promise to make it up to Israeli fans. “We will do our best to bring the actors to Israel at a later date in the future.”

The Israeli news source Maariv quipped sarcastically that the “later date” mentioned will be for the premiere of the next movie in the Expendables franchise.

Stuntman's Family Sues Over Deadly Explosion

The family of a stuntman who was killed during an explosion on the set of EX2 is suing producers ... claiming they failed to take proper safety precautions during a stunt-gone-wrong in Bulgaria.

According to the lawsuit, Kun Liu was shooting an action scene that took place on a rubber boat near the Ognyanovo Reservoir on October 27, 2011. The scene involved the use of high powered explosives and other "ultra-hazardous activities."

But something went horribly wrong ... and according to the suit, 26-year-old Liu was killed during the filming of the scene.

Liu's parents blame the production company, Millennium Films, and the stunt coordinator, Chad Stahelski ... and now they're suing both parties for wrongful death.

Liu's family believes they should be compensated for funeral expenses ... and for the loss of their son's "society, love, comfort, attention, services and support."

Liu's family is demanding more than $25k. 

Source: TMZ

More EX2 International Posters

EX2 Korean Poster

EX2 Italian Banner

EX2 Japanese Banner

Also click Here to see EX2 Posters from 18 different countries!

And EX2 International Websites.

Crews Says EX2 Is Funnier

Crews participated in NBC’s military competition “Stars Earn Stripes” and CraveOnline got to ask him about EX2 at the Television Critics Association panel.

“I think the coolest part about the new one is that we have a better rapport,” Crews said. “You get to see a little more of what we are like together, even in the downtime. Whereas the first one was just action, action, action, I think people are going to be pleasantly surprised when they get a little more of our characters, because we didn’t have time for backstory in the first one. This one, you get to learn a little bit more about Dolph, Randy, myself and how we interact with Sly and Jason.”

Crews had some backstory for his character, Hale Caesar, in EX1, but he says the sequel script introduced brand new ideas. And let him be funny.

“It was new for me too. They wanted to take it, I thought in a better direction. It kind of opened things up for me in a lot of ways, took advantage of my comedic timing. I don’t look at myself as a badass. I’ve never done that. With comedies I’ve done, all the things, I can’t do that. But Sly knew how to work with all our gifts and I get a nice hefty load of some of the comedic stuff.”

 

Crews says the sequel came closer to realizing Stallone’s original vision.

“It’s the movie that Sly really wanted to make in the beginning. Before, he was kind of counted out. He pretty much pulled this whole thing together and got the grassroots of this thing together in the first one, but now after it became a hit, became what it was worldwide, he pretty much had everything he wanted. We pretty much got everything we wanted. It was crazy. With the addition now of Jean-Claude [Van Damme] and Chuck Norris, it can only get better.”

Source: CraveOnline

JCVD & the Expendables World Tour Schedule

Here's Van Damme's EX2 World Tour Schedule:

[The schedule below could be a subject of change.]

• Sunday, August 5th Madrid, Spain

• Monday, August 6th - Spanish Press Day and Premiere

• Tuesday, August 7th Berlin, Germany - German Press day and Premiere

• Wednesday, August 8th Brussels, Belgium - TBD Junket and Premiere

• Thursday, August 9th Paris, France - Premiere

• Friday, August 10th - French Press Day

• Saturday, August 11th | Sunday, August 12th London, United Kingdom

• Monday, August 13th - UK Press Day and Premiere

• Tuesday, August 14th New York, United States

• Wednesday, August 15th* - Good Morning America, Jimmy Fallon

* (A possible trip to Toronto same day and back to NYC)

• Thursday, August 16th & 17th - NYC appearances

• Friday, August 17th - The Expendables 2 Premier

EX2 Rated R By The MPAA

It's finally official. EX2 is Rated R by the MPAA for STRONG BLOODY VIOLENCE THROUGHOUT.

Dolph Lundgren Interview

Lungren sat down with AskMen for an interview. Here are bits and pieces that pertain to EX2:

On actors who impressed him with their physicality and/or discipline:

"The first one that comes to mind is Sly, Sly Stallone. I was a competitive athlete when I got in the business, and he was an actor. He wasn’t in particularly great shape for the first Rocky, but then he got into very good shape. He’s 66 now, I think, and he’s still in pretty good shape for his age. More than 99% of everybody else.

 

[Jean-Claude] has discipline as well. He’s a different personality; he likes to go out more, but he’s still in good shape. It’s surprising that he is in such good shape if you take into account his lifestyle, or maybe his past lifestyle. A lot of the guys on The Expendables series I would say are like that. Terry Crews, he’s in his mid-40s, he’s in terrific shape, you know, Randy Couture… they’re all older guys, but certainly they would beat most younger guys at any sport, at any age. I’m impressed by all of them. By working with these guys, you get a little bit of an inspiration injection. Because I’m used to being the only older guy. But now I’ve got six or seven more on the set. It makes you feel great, like, there is hope." 

On being back to work on an action blockbuster years and years later with guys he came up with decades ago:

"It’s surreal in one way because it is kind of a throwback movie to the ‘80s and even further back, like The Dirty Dozen -- and we are making fun of ourselves a bit in the movie. For me there’s the other dimension of working with Stallone 25 years later, and also now with Arnold, who I knew before I got into films. I was a fighter in New York, and my girlfriend was in one of his movies way back. I met him back then.

On how he was spending his downtime between scenes:

"We [were] blowing shit up. Tossing dynamite all over the place. No, when we’re filming, it’s very professional and work-orientated -- especially this second movie, because we were shooting in Bulgaria which is really cold, and we were way too tired to go out and party too much. A lot of these guys, they look like that for a reason. They don’t go out much; they don’t party hard and drink and stay up ‘til five in the morning, but on occasion, we have a few drinks and talk about the past. Sometimes you work out together which is fun, whether you train together or you’re in the gym at the same time. It’s certainly different than in 99% of all other films, where you’re there as a job and you don’t know the other people and actors on the set, and you don’t have that much in common. Here, there are a lot of common bonds, which makes it special.

Source: AskMen

JCVD & The Expendables Around the World

 
Within a week, JCVD will begin his world tour along with the 'Expendables' for press conferences, screening and the premiering of The Expendables 2.

JC will also bring unexpected surprises –not only to his fans– but to the world …the ‘JCVD Way!’
 
Jean-Claude’s wife, health & fitness expert, Gladys Portugues, will be accompanying the ‘Muscles from Brussels’ during his world tour.

Spain, Germany, Belgium, France, United Kingdom, Canada and USA... soon.

– with Love from Jean-Claude. 

Source: jcvd-online.com

A New Website Lets You Join The Expendables 2

Lionsgate is offering fans a chance to join the action at JoinTheExpendables.com and of course through a special app for iPhones and iPads available at TheExpendablesInfiniteTrailer.com.

The site offers six different action-themed effects that fans can add to their own videos and then upload to the "Infinite Trailer", now playing on the site.

EX2 Global Websites

Different countries have different websites for EX2! Did you know that? There are a few main templates though, and one same template is sometimes used in two or three different countries. For instance the American & German EX2 websites use the same template. The EX2 websites in Brazil, Finland & The Netherlands are still using the old American template, and the ones in Japan, Taiwan or Spain use their own templates.

Here's a screenshot of some of the EX2 websites around the world. Which one is the BEST?

Japan -  http://www.expendables2.jp/

 Taiwan -  http://www.catchplay.com/?pg=movie_s...heexpendables2

 The Netherlands -  http://www.expendables2themovie.nl/

 US - http://theexpendables2film.com/

 Spain -  http://www.losmercenarios2.es/

Stallone Laid Son To Rest In Private Funeral

Sylvester Stallone and several close family members mourned the passing of Sage Stallone today, at a private funeral held in Brentwood, CA. 

The memorial services took place at St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church. Sylvester Stallone, his wife Jennifer Flavin, and his brother Frank Stallone were all present.

In a previous statement Sylvester Stallone said, “This agonizing loss will be felt for the rest of our lives. Sage is our first child and the center of our universe and I am humbly begging for all to have my son’s memory and soul left in peace.”

Our thoughts are with Sylvester Stallone and his family during this difficult time.

JCVD Interview By Premiere: English Version!

Premiere is one of the most popular Movie Magazines in France. They conducted an interview with Van Damme that was posted on many websites last week. The problem was the interview was obviously published in French and not all fans could read it. Like every thing Expendable it was a matter of time until someone translated the interview for the EX  fans and posted it on the web. For those who don't know Mike Frenchy, he's a hell of a guy and does a lot of work to make things available to EX fans. He's done it again and got us the full JCVD interview with Premiere in English! Enjoy the read!

EX2 Blog Readers Chose Their Expendable To Die

After running a poll, asking EX2 Blog readers to vote for the Expendable who in their opinion would be killed in the movie by Vilain, this is what readers had to say:

42% - Hemsworth
34% - Li

21% - Rourke

8% - Other

If you want to find out if EX2 Blog readers are right, Click Here -  Huge Spoiler Alert!

New Van Damme Pictures

jcvd-online.com has posted some new pictures of Van Damme on the set of EX2, and here they are...

Mega Spoilers! 30 Questions Answered...

We have more spoilers from a fan who has attended the screening of EX2 at Camp Pendleton

30 Questions answered, detailed spoilers alert!

Click HERE if you want to know, if NOT, DON'T!

Simon West Talks EX2 PG-13 Rumor

We know 1000% by now that EX2 will be hard "R" rated. But Joblo has had a phone conversation with EX2 director Simon West on the rumor that was surrounding an eventual PG-13 move by the studios back in February 2012, that caused so much grief among the fans. Here's what West had to say about the PG-13 rumor:

"It's a very hard R, actually. The rumor got out - I'm sure there were some financial people who wanted it to be PG-13 because they thought it would somehow make more money or have a broader audience, but there was no way. I mean, when you get these guys on the set, they can't say a line without putting the F-bomb in it, and they can't pick up a gun without blowing several limbs off. There was no way this film could ever work other than an R, because that's just not what it is, and I think the core audience that loved the first one would just be outraged if it wasn't an R. It would be so sanitized, and such a weird version of it. I can't see how it could ever be PG-13. There was a rumor out there or some pressure out there because somebody thought they would somehow make it a family movie. It's more a dysfunctional family movie." 

Looks like the movie was supposed to be "R" from the beginning. Hmm, makes me wonder now if we actually fought for nothing???

A Fan Experience After Watching EX2! Mild Spoiler Alert!

I attended the EX II advance screening on July 13th at Camp Pendleton. It will go down as one of the greatest theater going experiences of my life.

I got my seat at around 4 pm. A good 2 hours before the premiere. The place was already packed like sardines. At least 800 in attendance. Primed for this action film event. 15 minutes before the film started, Arnold, Couture, Crews, and Lundgren show up. The place was like a rock concert at that point. Cheers, claps, screams, etc were all given at deafening volume. It's an atmosphere that held up throughout most of the film as well.

This crowd was intensely interactive with what was going on in the film, and I can't blame them. It's the best kind of unpretentious crowd pleasing material. A film that makes jokes about itself and simultaneously embraces its roots. This is tongue in cheek about 80s action cinema like Indiana Jones was about serial adventure films from the 30s - 50s. It's not meant to be taken serious, and is all the more fun for it. The original Expendables felt like it was trying to be too serious with its political subtext. I wasn't a big fan of the original. This eschews all of that to streamline the action and laughs.

Anyway, the film opens with what will go down as one of the best action intros of the year. Many limbs are blown off, various types of bombs are shout out & air dropped, and Li delivers a classic HK style beatdown with a pair of frying pans. It's gloriously violent and nonstop for almost 20 minutes. It's all extremely exhilarating, because it is well directed. Something the original lacked, imo.

The film settles back down for 20 minutes to introduce Hemsworth and Church's new agent that keeps an eye on the team. We also get to see the crew is more laid back with each other this time around. More jokes. More camaraderie. No drug substance problems or problems with the family. These guys are having the time of their lives sharing beers and personal jabs with each other.

That is until a particular member is dispatched by Vilain after their mission is hijacked. The film gets a more serious tone for a few minutes, but it goes right back to the type of fun loving men on a mission film we wanted from the first. The team is on revenge mode here on out. From here we get more action sequences. A memorable introduction from Chuck Norris that will have the crowd hurting from laughter. I'm not lying when I say this is the best film Norris has been in, and he's seldom been used better. A majority of the squibs show up in the middle section. One bad guy is memorably dispatched by the entire Expendables crew in a scene that mimics the Robocop malfunction scene of ED-209. It's gratuitously violent, but hilarious (like a majority of the film).

The crew eventually meets up with Vilain at an airport. I won't spoil it, but it's an awesome mix of hand to hand combat and "Commando" style action. Norris mows down enemies with god like consistency. Walking through a torrent of bullets without a scratch. It is, again, hilarious because this is how it was done in the 80s. You can laugh it and still appreciate the giddy cartoonish nature of it. These guys make comic book heroes look like boring philosophical guilt ridden pansies. They relish the action as much as the audience do. Something missing in action cinema today.

The final showdown between Stallone and Van Damme is almost surreal to watch. A clash of titans that we all dreamed about as kids. To see it onscreen is almost like lightning striking the fond memories we have of these legends. They both move gracefully (even at their age). No sign of slowing down. Brute force displayed by both, and no stuntmen or CGI face BS. Real deal mano-e-mano. The film ends on a light hearted note after the mission is over. The team even sings their own hymn for a fallen soldier as they share beers with each other. A manly ending to a manly film. If you're a fan of these legends, you'll certainly be walking out of the cinema with a fat grin on your face. A must-see event for action fans, and a HUGE improvement over the original.

New EX2 Still

A new still is here, and rather a nice one showing Statham, Sly & Arnold in probably one of the scenes of the opening mission.

EX2 All Posters

Here's a sample of EX2 posters from different countries. If you happen to be from a country whose EX2 poster doesn't appear here, please send us a message using our contact form and we'll post it.

US-1 France Italy Greece Russia Israel Brazil Mexico  Turkey Japan Taiwan

US-2  Canada-Quebec Spain Portugal Germany Ukraine Argentina India Hong Kong Vietnam Korea