It looks like Sylvester Stallone's hardened "Expendables" franchise has gone from an R rating down to a more kid-friendly PG-13, according to Coming Soon. The first two films in the action franchise both had the R ratings for extreme violence and language, but "Expendables 3" will play things a bit safer for the lower rating.
It is not yet clear what kind of effect this will have at the box office, but the move will allow a larger demographic of audiences to see the movie. The sequel is littered with big time action names, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Harrison Ford and Wesley Snipes, and it will hit theaters on August 15th. The third film in the series looks to be a little tamer after the downgrade to PG-13, but only time will tell.
The third installment will follow Barney Ross (Stallone) and his loyal group of mercenaries as they try to take down Expendables founder, Conrad Stonebanks, played by Mel Gibson. Stonebanks went rogue after being thought dead by Barney and has since formed his own younger and geekier group to take on the old-timers.
Stallone still draws big box office around the world, but it remains to be seen if the PG-13 version will outdo the first two movies. Director Patrick Hughes ("Red Hill") is at the helm guiding the grizzled veteran action stars through their fist fueled machinations with the bad guys.
The MPAA handed down the demotion, and while the film will have the usual amount of action, some die-hard fans may not be too happy. Sometimes when this type of rating is handed down it can look like the filmmakers are only concerned about box office and not catering to the action fanatics that made these guys stars to begin with.
It will also be interesting to see how the public takes to Gibson after the years of controversy. One thing fans can count on is that Stallone, while not directing, knows how to run a franchise. After all, this is the guy who gave the world "Rocky" and "Rambo." His track record speaks for itself, and the PG-13 label may not affect its box office take at all.
It is unclear as to whether or not fans can expect a fourth installment in the series, but it will most certainly have to do with how "Expendables 3" performs at the box office. The fans are still there and are ready for August 15th, but the film may not be what they expect.
