'Expendables' exclusive: Sylvester Stallone talks '$15 billion' scene with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis
We?ve said it before and we?ll say it again: we couldn?t be more pumped for Sylvester Stallone?s all-star action extravaganza, The Expendables. If you?ve been tracking this pecs-pumping, pyrotechnics-palooza with us, then you?re already hip to the summer 2010 film?s hulking, Who?s Who he-man cast (Jason Statham, Jet Li, Mickey Rourke, Dolph Lundgren, Eric Roberts, Randy Couture, Steve Austin, etc.). You?ve also seen the early photos of a tattooed and totally ripped Stallone and heard that Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger would drop by for cameo appearances, pretty much cementing the film as a one-stop shopping site for ?80s blow-?em-up blockbuster lovers. And, more recently, you?ve been with us as we shared the movie?s rowdy, red-meat trailers. Well, now we have something new on The Expendables front ? an exclusive from the director and star of the film: Stallone himself.
Recently, we reached the Rambo star by phone as he was taking a break from watching the dailies of his mercenaries-on-a-mission flick. And the scene he was watching was none other than the one that every card-carrying action aficionado has been awaiting with baited breath ? the scene that finally brings together the holy trinity of ?80s tentpoles: Stallone, Bruce Willis, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Here?s what Sly had to say?
?I was just looking at the dailies, saying, ?Jesus, this is amazing!? I talked about this scene with these guys for a long time, but I never thought it would come to fruition.?
Stallone said the superstar-summit scene takes place in a church, where Willis? nasty antagonist has summoned Stallone?s macho mercenary to finally meet him face-to-face, take measure of him, and possibly hire him for a death-defying mission. But just as the meeting gets under way and smartass smalltalk is made, in walks another killer-for-hire ? Stallone?s longtime rival, who Willis has also invited to this job interview: Ah-nuld.
?Bruce says ?Well, there?s one other person I want to talk to before I hire you,? says Stallone. ?And then Arnold, who plays my old rival, walks in. We have a history together. And we go back and forth and I tell him that I should have shot him a long time ago when I had the chance. Then it goes on from there. And here we are, the three of us trying to man up to one another, playing off of who we are, using our baggage in this one scene.?
Stallone says that big scene with Willis, Schwarzenegger, and himself would amount to more than a cameo or a stunt in the final cut of the film. ?It?s probably going to be about 5 minutes of screen time.? Which, if you think about it, is kind of impressive considering that Willis and Schwarzenegger were only on the L.A. set for 6 hours. ?We only had them for that one day and then Bruce had to go off to Istanbul and Arnold had to go back and do his governmental stuff. But I was impressed because they got up at 5:30 in the morning to do this.?
When asked if the Governator was rusty since he hasn?t been on screen since 2004?s Around the World in 80 Days and has spent most of his time in Sacramento, Stallone laughs and says no. ?It?s like riding a bicycle.? Then he adds, ?It?s funny because between the three of us, if you add up all the box office and DVD rentals and all of that, there?s like $15 billion in that one scene!?
While we won?t vouch for Stallone?s math, we?re pretty positive that we?ll be adding another ten bucks to that tally when The Expendables opens next August.
If you haven?t seen the latest trailer for The Expendables yet, you can check it out below. In the meantime, let us know what you think. Are you looking forward to the movie? Are you excited to see these three share the screen together?
