All-Female Expendables Spin-off

Back from Development Hell: All-Female Expendables Spin-off The Expendabelles Officially Resurrected

CANNES — One of Hollywood’s most notorious "what-if" projects is officially locked and loaded once again. Over a decade after it was first conceived, an all-female expansion of The Expendables franchise, tentatively titled The Expendabelles, has been dramatically resurrected.

The blockbuster announcement was made over the weekend at the Cannes Film Festival, where production companies Eclectic Pictures and Hollywood Ventures Group (HVG) revealed they are actively assembling creative talent for the action spin-off. Moving forward with the full backing of Lionsgate, which quietly acquired the master rights to the wider Expendables IP late last year—the film is being shopped to international financiers and distributors on the Croisette.

Out with the Old, In with the 90s

If the title sounds familiar, it is because The Expendabelles has been trapped in development hell since 2012. An earlier 2014 iteration, which had Legally Blonde helmer Robert Luketic attached to direct, featured a highly controversial plot where elite female operatives posed as high-class call girls to rescue a kidnapped nuclear scientist.

Unsurprisingly, that concept has been completely scrapped. Instead, the revived project has been heavily reworked as a late-1990s origin story set against the backdrop of Y2K panic and escalating geopolitical tension.

Producers have described the film as a “stylised, action-driven cinematic event” designed to introduce a brand-new generation of elite female mercenaries, expanding the mythology of Sylvester Stallone’s original universe while firmly standing on its own feet.

“There has always been a strong global appetite for female-driven action franchises, and we believe the time is now,” said Eclectic Pictures CEO Heidi Jo Markel in a statement. “What excites us most is the opportunity to elevate the material by pairing it with top-tier creative talent and delivering a fresh, stylish, adrenaline-fueled experience.”

Reviving a Battered Franchise

The decision to spin the franchise off comes at a critical juncture for the property. While the first three entries—which united testosterone-fueled 1980s and 90s titans like Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Statham, and Dolph Lundgren, grossed over $800 million globally, the series hit a brick wall with 2023’s Expend4bles.

That fourth outing was a certified box-office disaster, limping to a franchise-low $37 million worldwide against a $100 million budget. By shifting the focus to a retro prequel format and an all-female ensemble, Lionsgate and its partners are clearly betting that a change in perspective can breathe new life into the stagnant brand.

The Expendables Franchise Breakdown

The Ultimate Wishlist

While the film is strictly in the packaging phase and no official cast or director has been locked in, the internet has already gone into overdrive speculating which female action icons could fill the roster.

Industry insiders suggest that for the film to achieve the nostalgic weight of its predecessors, producers will likely target a mix of veteran sci-fi and action royalty alongside contemporary physical performers. Names heavily circulating on fan wishlists include:

• The Veterans: Sigourney Weaver (Aliens), Linda Hamilton (Terminator 2), and Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon).

• The Y2K Icons: Milla Jovovich (Resident Evil), Angelina Jolie (Lara Croft), and Kate Beckinsale (Underworld).

• The Modern Heavy Hitters: Charlize Theron (Mad Max: Fury Road) and Michelle Rodriguez (Fast & Furious).

The Verdict

The history of gender-swapped reboots in Hollywood is famously turbulent, with projects like 2016's Ghostbusters and Ocean's 8 polarising audiences. However, by anchoring The Expendabelles as a period-accurate, Y2K-era gritty origin story rather than a direct, modern-day replacement of Stallone’s crew, the filmmakers may have found the narrative justification that eluded them for over a decade.

As HVG co-founder Glenn Gainor noted: “This is a world audiences know, but we're introducing them to it in a way they've never seen before.” The mercenary business, it seems, is no longer just a boys' club.