Aquaman, now a father to Arthur Curry Jr., is trying to find a balance in being a father and the King of Atlantis. Black Manta, driven blind by revenge, sets out to track down the mythic Black Trident, a weapon with ancient powers. As Black Manta closes in, Aquaman must turn to the former King of Atlantis – Orm, to forge an alliance. Together, they will protect the kingdom and Aquaman’s family.
The underwater comic book movie held its US premiere on December 19, 2023 at The Grove in Los Angeles. The film was released domestically on December 22, 2023. Originally, ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ was scheduled to be released on December 16, 2022. The film’s release was changed three times due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the reshuffling of the studio’s release dates.
‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ has a runtime of 2 hours and 4 minutes. If you missed the movie on the big screen, it is now available to rent or purchase on VOD platforms such as Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube, and Vudu. Prices range from $19.99 for rental or $24.99 for purchase.
Since the first ‘Aquaman‘ film is available to stream on Max, it is likely the sequel will eventually land on the streaming platform. However, an official date has not been released or confirmed by Warner Bros Discovery.
For fans of physical media, you’re in luck. ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ is now available for pre-order. Prices range from $19.99 for DVD, $24.96 for Blu-ray, and $32.99 for 4K UHD. There’s also an option to purchase a two-film collection, which will include the first film ‘Aquaman’ and the sequel ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.’ for $32.99. The official release date for home release is March 12, 2024.
To go up against Black Manta, who wields the power of the Black Trident, Aquaman needed to team up with his brother (and former King of Atlantis), Orm. Although an unlikely pair, Jason Momoa and Patrick Wilson made for a great duo screen, whether it be brotherly witty banters or coordinated fight scenes. Their chemistry amplified the movie.
‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ is the final movie of the previous DECU era. Current DC co-chairs James Gunn and Peter Safran are working towards their new vision for DC. The two previously announced ‘Superman Legacy,’ a film that will be a part of the new DC Universe Chapter One, ‘Gods and Monsters.’ Other DC films, such as ‘Joker: Folie á Deux’ will exist in Elseworld.
This could mean that there’s a slight chance we can see Momoa’s Aquaman return in some capacity, as Elseworld stories do not connect to the main canon of the new DCU.
Gunn and Safran introduced their new DC slate a year ago and have announced that ‘Superman Legacy’ has started production, and the ‘Creature Commandos’ episodes are being finished, with the series being released later this year. Gunn also teases upcoming projects and says, “incredible talents are being attached to new projects, planned & unplanned.”
“Today, ‘Superman Legacy’ is about to start production, episodes of ‘Creature Commandos’ are being finished that will release later this year, at least 2 more projects are gearing up to go in the next couple months, amazing scripts keep coming in, & incredible talent are being attached to new projects, planned & unplanned. Thank you!!”
Watch the official trailers for ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ below:
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The official synopsis for ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ is below:
After failing to defeat Aquaman the first time, Black Manta wields the power of the mythic Black Trident to unleash an ancient and malevolent force. Hoping to end his reign of terror, Aquaman forges an unlikely alliance with his brother, Orm, the former king of Atlantis. Setting aside their differences, they join forces to protect their kingdom and save the world from irreversible destruction.
Oscar® nominee Travis Knight arrives at the Oscar Nominee Luncheon held at the Ray Dolby Ballroom, Monday, January 27, 2020. The 92nd Oscars will air on Sunday, February 9, 2020 live on ABC.
Preview:
Travis Knight is looking to make a deal to direct ‘Masters of the Universe’.
Mattel has been developing the idea for years.
Chris Butler is writing the latest draft of the script.
Having seen ‘Barbie’ become a pop cultural sensation, awards magnet and let’s not forget, massive money maker ($1.44 billion worldwide at the box office) Mattel is naturally eager to have its other properties make their way to screens.
But ‘Masters of the Universe’ has proved particularly troublesome, defeating more than one studio and a variety of filmmakers. The rights are headed to Amazon MGM Studios, and there is some forward movement to report as ‘Bumblebee’ director Travis Knight is now making a deal to direct the new live-action iteration of the story, which has been seeing success on the small screen via Kevin Smith’s animated Netflix series ‘Revelation’ and ‘Revolution’.
What is ‘Masters of the Universe?’
‘He-Man and the Masters of the Universe’ 1980’s Cartoon.
If you didn’t grow up a 1980s kid, or haven’t seen the Netflix series, here’s a ‘Masters of the Universe’ primer… It’s the story of Prince Adam and his heroic friends, who must defend the faraway land of Eternia from the machinations of Skeletor and a group of fellow evildoers. At stake is Castle Grayskull and the Power Sword, which transforms Adam into He-Man, helping him fight off the various threats.
A cartoon series called ‘He-Man and the Masters of the Universe’ was launched in 1985 to help sell the action figures, creating a pop culture phenomenon. It was infamously turned into a movie in 1987 starring Dolph Lundgren as He-Man and Frank Langella as Skeletor. That flopped at the box office, which scuttled a planned sequel.
What’s the story for the new ‘Masters of the Universe’ movie?
(Left) Dolph Lundgren as He-Man in 1987’s ‘Masters of the Universe.’ Photo: The Cannon Group.
If Knight does make a deal to direct, he’ll be working from a new draft of the script by Chris Butler –– to whom he’s already connected, as Butler has written or directed several animated movies produced by Knight’s Laika stop-motion animation studio.
According to Deadline, the new movie revolves around 9-year-old Prince Adam crashing to Earth in a spaceship and being separated from his Magical Sword –– the only link to his home on Eternia.
After tracking it down almost two decades later, Adam is whisked back across space to defend his home planet against the evil forces of Skeletor. But to defeat such a powerful villain, Prince Adam first will need to uncover the mysteries of his past and become He-Man — the most powerful man in the universe.
It’s not yet guaranteed that Knight will land in the job, but he had a good meeting with Mattel and has been offered the assignment.
Could he finally have the power to make ‘Masters’ work on screen? Only time will tell at this point…
Guest and Oscar® nominee, Travis Knight arrive on the red carpet of The 92nd Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 9, 2020.
Other Movies Similar to ‘Masters of the Universe:’
(Center) Dolph Lundgren in ‘Kindergarten Cop 2.’ Photo: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.
Assigned to recover sensitive stolen data, a gruff FBI agent (Lundgren) goes undercover as a kindergarten teacher, but the school’s liberal, politically correct environment is more than he bargained for.
When a terrorist group steals the US President’s personal communications computer for launching the US arsenal in case of war, only a heroic Major (Lundgren) has the key to prevent a Presidential assassination or a nuclear holocaust.
When terrorists threaten nuclear catastrophe at Chernobyl, the world’s only hope is to reactivate decommissioned Universal Soldier Luc Deveraux (Jean-Claude Van Damme). Rearmed and reprogrammed, Deveraux must take on his nemesis (Lundgren) from the original ‘Universal Soldier’ and a next-generation “UniSol” that seems almost unstoppable.
When a team of ruthless mercenaries violently seize control of a remote resort hotel, former Special Ops soldiers attending their best friend’s wedding must rely only on their wits and training to combat the terrorists and save the hostages held for ransom.
Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), still driven by the need to avenge his father’s death and wielding the power of the mythic Black Trident, will stop at nothing to take Aquaman (Jason Momoa) down once and for all. To defeat him, Aquaman must turn to his imprisoned brother Orm (Patrick Wilson), the former King of Atlantis, to forge an unlikely alliance in order to save the world from irreversible destruction.
(L to R) Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson as “Easy Day”, Megan Fox as “Gina”, Dolph Lundgren as “Gunner Jensen,” Jacob Scipio as “Galan” Andy Garcia as “Marsh” in ‘Expend4bles.’ Copyright: EX4 Productions, Inc. 2022.
A new generation of stars join the world’s top action stars for an adrenaline-fueled adventure in ‘Expend4bles.’ Reuniting as the team of elite mercenaries, Jason Statham, Lundgren, Randy Couture, and Sylvester Stallone are joined for the first time by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Megan Fox, Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, Jacob Scipio, Levy Tran, and Andy Garcia. Armed with every weapon they can get their hands on and the skills to use them, The Expendables are the world’s last line of defense and the team that gets called when all other options are off the table. But new team members with new styles and tactics are going to give “new blood” a whole new meaning.
In a dystopian 2021, Johnny (Keanu Reeves) is a data trafficker who has an implant that allows him to securely store data too sensitive for regular computer networks. On one delivery run, he accepts a package that not only exceeds the implant’s safety limits—and will kill him if the data is not removed in time—but also contains information far more important and valuable than he had ever imagined. On a race against time, he must avoid the assassins sent to kill him and remove the data before it, too, ends his life.
After his wife and daughter are murdered in a home invasion, a widower named John (Scott Adkins) now finds himself up against an army of Universal Soldiers in relentless pursuit, led by a mysterious leader who promises to set UniSols free from their conditioning.
A newly-developed microchip designed by Zorin Industries for the British Government that can survive the electromagnetic radiation caused by a nuclear explosion has landed in the hands of the KGB. James Bond (Roger Moore) must find out how and why. His suspicions soon lead him to big industry leader Max Zorin (Christopher Walken) who forms a plan to destroy his only competition in Silicon Valley by triggering a massive earthquake in the San Francisco Bay.
Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) leads a band of highly skilled mercenaries including knife enthusiast Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), a martial arts expert Yin Yang (Jet Li), heavy weapons specialist Hale Caesar (Terry Crews), demolitionist Toll Road (Randy Couture), and a loose-cannon sniper Gunner Jensen (Lundgren). When the group is commissioned by the mysterious Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) to assassinate the dictator of a small South American island, Barney and Lee visit the remote locale to scout out their opposition and discover the true nature of the conflict engulfing the city.
(L to R) Aaron McPherson as “Hilts,” Kelsey Grammer as “Brynner” and Dolph Lundgren as “Johansen” in the action thriller, ‘Wanted Man,’ a Quiver Distribution release. Photo courtesy of Quiver Distribution.
Johansen (Lundgren) is an aging detective, whose outdated policing methods have given the department a recent public relations problem. To save his job, he is sent to Mexico to extradite a female witness (Christina Villa) to the murders of two DEA agents. Once there, he finds not only his old opinions challenged, but that bad hombres on both sides of the border are now gunning for him and his witness.
A fanboy of a supervillain supergroup known as the Vicious 6, Gru (Steve Carell) hatches a plan to become evil enough to join them, with the backup of his followers, the Minions.
Barney (Sylvester Stallone), Christmas (Jason Statham) and the rest of the team comes face-to-face with Conrad Stonebanks (Mel Gibson), who years ago co-founded The Expendables with Barney. Stonebanks subsequently became a ruthless arms trader and someone who Barney was forced to kill… or so he thought. Stonebanks, who eluded death once before, now is making it his mission to end The Expendables — but Barney has other plans. Barney decides that he has to fight old blood with new blood, and brings in a new era of Expendables team members, recruiting individuals who are younger, faster and more tech-savvy. The latest mission becomes a clash of classic old-school style versus high-tech expertise in the Expendables’ most personal battle yet.
An American soldier (Jean-Claude Van Damme) who had been killed during the Vietnam War is revived 25 years later by the military as a semi-android, UniSols, a high-tech soldier of the future. After the failure of the initiative to erase all the soldier’s memories, he begins to experience flashbacks that are forcing him to recall his past.
Once home to the most advanced civilization on Earth, Atlantis is now an underwater kingdom ruled by the power-hungry King Orm (Patrick Wilson). With a vast army at his disposal, Orm plans to conquer the remaining oceanic people and then the surface world. Standing in his way is Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa), Orm’s half-human, half-Atlantean brother and true heir to the throne.
Between personal obligations and training for his next big fight against an opponent with ties to his family’s past, Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) is up against the challenge of his life.
(L to R) Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren and Sylvester Stallone in ‘The Expendables 2.’ Photo: Lionsgate.
Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) reunites the Expendables for what should be an easy paycheck, but when one of their men is murdered on the job, their quest for revenge puts them deep in enemy territory and up against an unexpected threat.
(Right) Dolph Lundgren as Francis “Frank” Castle in 1989’s ‘The Punisher.’ Photo: Live Entertainment.
The avenging angel of Marvel Comics fame comes brilliantly to life in this searing action-adventure thriller! Lundgren stars as Frank Castle, a veteran cop who loses his entire family to a mafia car bomb. His ex-partner believes Castle survived the blast and became the Punisher, living in the sewers and exacting vigilante violence against mob bosses throughout the city. When the populace is caught in the midst of a gang war that he caused, Castle must again emerge from the shadows and save the innocent.
(Left) Dolph Lundgren as He-Man in 1987’s ‘Masters of the Universe.’ Photo: The Cannon Group.
The world of Eternia in the aftermath of Skeletor’s (Frank Langella) war on Castle Grayskull, which he has won after seizing Grayskull and the surrounding city using a cosmic key developed by the locksmith Gwildor (Billy Barty). The Sorceress (Christina Pickles) is now Skeletor’s prisoner and he begins to drain her life-force as he waits for the moon of Eternia to align with the Great Eye of the Universe that will bestow god-like power upon him.
(L to R) Sylvester Stallone and Dolph Lundgren in 1985’s ‘Rocky IV.’
Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) proudly holds the world heavyweight boxing championship, but a new challenger has stepped forward: Drago (Lundgren), a six-foot-four, 261-pound fighter who has the backing of the Soviet Union.
(L to R) Aaron McPherson as “Hilts,” Kelsey Grammer as “Brynner” and Dolph Lundgren as “Johansen” in the action thriller, ‘Wanted Man,’ a Quiver Distribution release. Photo courtesy of Quiver Distribution.
Directing his eighth (!) feature film, veteran action star Dolph Lundgren leans into his age and allows for a little vulnerability in the new thriller ‘Wanted Man.’ Make no mistake: this isn’t high art by any means, and has the sheen and feel of a low-cost direct-to-video (or direct-to-streaming) quickie, right down to the casting of one-time stars like Kelsey Grammer and Michael Paré. But Lundgren handles the action with confidence and tries to do something interesting with his character, even if the rest of the movie doesn’t quite have the same ambition.
(L to R) Dolph Lundgren as “Johansen” and Aaron McPherson as “Hilts” in the action thriller, ‘Wanted Man,’ a Quiver Distribution release. Photo courtesy of Quiver Distribution.
‘Wanted Man’ opens with a drug deal gone wrong, in which four masked men intrude on a money-for-drugs swap and kill everyone involved, including two undercover DEA agents who seem to recognize the guys slaughtering them. Well, almost everyone is killed: two female escorts hiding in a back room escape and, it turns out, flee to Mexico.
Next we meet aging border police officer Mike Johansen (Lundgren), who probably should retire like most of his pals on the force but is now facing extreme disciplinary measures for beating the crap out of a suspect who happens to be Mexican. Johansen and his friends – which include the retired Brynner (Grammer) and the still active Tinelli (Paré) and Hilts (Aaron McPherson) – are the kind of good old boys who like to hang out in strip clubs after hours, get drunk and then drive, and push anyone with even a slightly darker skin tone than them around (as we see in one scene where Johansen demands to see an Arizona native’s green card).
When Johansen’s boss sends him on a mission to Mexico to bring back the two women who witnessed the DEA murders, it’s pretty easy to see where ‘Wanted Man’ is going. Sure enough, Johansen, the two women, and the Mexican cop accompanying them are ambushed in short order, leaving only a badly wounded Johansen and one of the women, Rosa (Christina Villa), on their own to survive and escape to the border.
(L to R) Dolph Lundgren as “Johansen” and Christina Villa as “Rosa” in the action thriller, ‘Wanted Man,’ a Quiver Distribution release. Photo courtesy of Quiver Distribution.
‘Wanted Man’ starts out with an underlying tone of ugliness and racism that’s mainly thanks to the unrepentant nature of Johansen and his pals, particularly the nasty Brynner. But along the way, Johansen’s experiences gradually make him aware not just of his own prejudices but also the plight of immigrants desperate to make their way to a potentially better life in America. The movie – with its small cast and budget – thankfully doesn’t attempt to make any larger statements about our border issues, but it is earnest in portraying, through its protagonist’s travails, one man’s attempt to understand others.
Along the way there’s the expected action beats, narrative twists, and double-crosses, all of which you can pretty much see coming from miles away. This is pretty standard action-thriller material, but Lundgren handles it competently and even pulls off a few nice-looking shots while making use of his expansive desert locations. He’s also adept at handling the action sequences, including a tense shootout at a home in Mexico and a couple of standoffs in which he’s not afraid to show his enemies getting the upper hand on him at key moments.
At 86 minutes (including credits), ‘Wanted Man’ is the kind of compact thriller you can pass the time with relatively quickly, and even features a few interesting character relationships that elevate it slightly past the tropes it’s based upon.
The Dolph of It All
Dolph Lundgren as “Johansen” in the action thriller, ‘Wanted Man,’ a Quiver Distribution release. Photo courtesy of Perbernal.
Dolph Lundgren stars in, directs, co-produces, and has co-written ‘Wanted Man,’ making it clear that a) this is a story he feels personally attached to, and b) he wants to exercise some kind of quality control over the output of his later career. Lundgren has starred in dozens of direct-to-video action programmers that many of us have never seen, but with his profile recently raised by a supporting role in the two ‘Aquaman’ movies and a surprisingly affecting return as an older, wiser Ivan Drago in ‘Creed II,’ Lundgren seems more visible than he’s been in a long time.
He’ll never win an Oscar, but he brings a world-weariness and still-imposing physicality to the role of Johansen that makes the character believable enough, particularly as his arc bends from racism and anger to empathy and acceptance. He’s not afraid to show himself getting hurt, and to give generous screen time to his co-stars, particularly Villa, with whom he shares a decent chemistry thankfully free of any contrived sexual tension.
(L to R) Daniela Soto-Brenner as “Leticia” and Christina Villa as “Rosa” in the action thriller, ‘Wanted Man,’ a Quiver Distribution release. Photo courtesy of Quiver Distribution.
Villa herself is not incredibly expressive but displays intelligence and fire – although conversely her portrayal of an escort is less realistic since you have to wonder how she got there in the first place. As for the rest of the cast, it’s fun to see Michael Paré (‘Streets of Fire’) pop up, but he, Grammer, and most of the other male characters are given one-dimensional treatment that pegs them right away as either good guys or villains.
In the end, though, this is really the Dolph Lundgren show, and if you’re a fan then ‘Wanted Man’ will probably work for you.
Final Thoughts
(L to R) Dolph Lundgren as “Johansen” in the action thriller, ‘Wanted Man,’ a Quiver Distribution release. Photo courtesy of Quiver Distribution.
Despite a surprisingly prolific career, Dolph Lundgren was never as big a star as the likes of contemporaries Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone or even Chuck Norris. Yet there’s an intelligence at work that tries to bring something other than the standard mix of violence and chest-beating to even a small movie like ‘Wanted Man.’ While the film skimps in developing most of its other characters in a meaningful way, and gets ugly at times, Lundgren gives a believable performance, and wrings just enough tension out of the narrative as director to keep one’s attention for 80 minutes.
‘Wanted Man’ receives 6 out of 10 stars.
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What is the plot of ‘Wanted Man’?
Travis Johansen (Lundgren) is an aging detective, whose outdated policing methods have given the department a recent public relations problem. To save his job, he is sent to Mexico to extradite a female witness (Christina Villa) to the murders of two DEA agents. Once there, he finds not only his old opinions challenged, but that bad hombres on both sides of the border are now gunning for him and his witness.
Dolph Lundgren as “Johansen” in the action thriller, ‘Wanted Man,’ a Quiver Distribution release. Photo courtesy of Perbernal.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Dolph Lundgren about his work on ‘Wanted Man,’ developing the screenplay, the themes he wanted to explore, his character’s arc, working with Christina Villa, casting old friends Kelsey Grammer and Michael Paré, why he likes directing, collaborating with his crew, and how his years of experience helped him shoot the action sequences.
Lundgren also discussed the long rumored ‘Rocky’ and ‘Creed’ spinoff movie, ‘Drago,’ if it’s still in development, and why it’s important to have Sylvester Stallone involved with the project.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview.
(L to R) Dolph Lundgren as “Johansen” in the action thriller, ‘Wanted Man,’ a Quiver Distribution release. Photo courtesy of Quiver Distribution.
Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about developing the screenplay and as a director, what were the themes that you were excited to explore with this movie?
Dolph Lundgren: I started developing the idea of this was about 15 years ago and other things came up. It was kind of loosely based on this (Clint) Eastwood movie called ‘The Gauntlet,’ where he goes and has an interstate transfer of a prisoner. I changed that to Mexico and then a couple of years back, the original writer and I started talking about making it about immigration because it’s a hot topic. Then I decided maybe I should make this character somebody who is a bit bitter and angry at the world and got something to learn. So, by ending up in Mexico, he ends up going through this physical journey and trial, but also an emotional challenge to his beliefs system. So those are the themes I wanted to touch upon.
MF: Can you talk about Travis’ personal views on society, how those ideas are challenged during the movie and how he ultimately changes as a character?
DL: At the top of the film, this guy, obviously he’s an old timer. He’s in law enforcement. He’s bitter at the world. He’s got these friends who reinforce those ideas in him. I don’t think he’s really a bad guy. He’s in a bad spot in his life, especially at the beginning of the movie, where he has a run in with an illegal alien and his policing methods aren’t the greatest. He’s a bit old-fashioned and he ends up getting in trouble with the press and with the mayor’s office, and to save his career they send him down to bring these two prisoners back and they’re really witnesses in a murder investigation of two federal agents. So, when he gets to Mexico, things are way more complicated than he thought, and nothing goes as planned. Then, by meeting various people who help him, he ends up changing his mind about a lot of things. I would say he comes back a changed man.
MF: What was it like for you as an actor to get to play an arc like that?
DL: It was interesting. When I started working on the character, he kind of reminded me of my dad. My dad was an intelligent man, but he was set in his ways, and he had a lot of anger and frustration and he never really got to turn the corner. He got a little more enlightened when he got older as people do, but not really. So, I sort of played a little bit of my dad in the beginning and I thought it was fun. It was satisfying to get to play an arc. It’s always what you look for as an actor because it gives you something to do that is a little more challenging than just playing the moment. So, I enjoyed it.
(L to R) Daniela Soto-Brenner as “Leticia” and Christina Villa as “Rosa” in the action thriller, ‘Wanted Man,’ a Quiver Distribution release. Photo courtesy of Quiver Distribution.
MF: Can you talk about the friendship Travis forms with Rosa and working on that relationship with Christina Villa?
DL: So, one of the witnesses is this woman named Rosa who’s a Mexican prostitute. She had to do that to survive in the states and then she’s been a witness of these murders. My character first doesn’t like her. She doesn’t like me at all. We were not the greatest of friends, but slowly we get to know each other, and it was a challenging character to find somebody to play. I wanted somebody who was Hispanic and had some experience about that and she did, and I thought she was great. I had a lot of Hispanic actors (on the set) and they were always good to ask because they would come up and say, “Well, maybe we should change this to that because this is the way we say it or this is how we feel.” I would always say, “Yeah, fine. You guys know,” and she did that. She came with some good suggestions.
MF: Can you talk about casting veteran actors Kelsey Grammer and Michael Paré?
DL: I enjoyed working with them. I know Kelsey from ‘The Expendables 3’ and then socially I’ve spent some time with him, and we always try to do something together. I thought it would be an interesting choice because he’s not what you expect. Michael Paré, I worked with him about 15 years ago, and he was always such a great guy. He’s such a good worker and stand-up guy, and I thought he’d be good. I enjoyed working with them.
Kelsey Grammer as “Brynner” in the action thriller, ‘Wanted Man,’ a Quiver Distribution release. Photo courtesy of Quiver Distribution.
MF: Can you talk about your approach to directing this movie, and what do you like about directing?
DL: What I do like is for these smaller movies that I feel like I have a lot of experience that I can bring to the table. Maybe more than a lot of directors that I could afford to hire. So, I feel like it’s easy to keep it all in-house. If I write, direct and even star or co-star, then I know nobody’s going to mess with the picture or do something that’s going to hurt it. I think my approach is to prepare quite well and speak to all the actors about a month ahead of time about their backstories, the characters and the relationships so that when we show up on set and I don’t have to say that much. It just comes alive in the moment. Then I try to be very quick as a director. I don’t like doing too many takes and trying to get seven different variations. If something works, in my experience, it works. Usually, you’re not going to get anything that’s more than 10% better, even if you keep shooting another twenty takes. So, I try to keep it moving forward very quickly, and I try to get the first shot off very quickly in the morning. I learned that from an old-timer, and he was funny. He would just go up to the DP and say, “Okay, you see that plane landing, shoot that.” So, everybody in the crew hears “Rolling,” like after 20 minutes. So, they’re like, “Oh, we’re working already. I don’t do that all the time, but he always said, “You got to get the first shot off within an hour, otherwise everything grinds to a halt.” So now that’s kind of my approach to it.
MF: Can you talk about working with your crew both during production and post-production?
DL: I had a problem on this picture because we had some issues in New Mexico with the crew. It was right after Covid and Netflix was in Albuquerque hiring a bunch of people, so we had difficulties putting it together. I had problems with the financing towards the end, so I didn’t have sufficient time to storyboard as much as I wanted. I did that on my last picture. Next time I’m going to storyboard. I like storyboarding a lot. I think it’s helpful and it gives you a chance to think about it visually before you’re on set and you’re going crazy because you must get the shot off and there’s a lot of other things happening. I enjoy working with the DP. I enjoy storyboarding and post-production is very important, obviously, the editing and the post-production, especially when you’re on a short schedule. So, you must cut corners when you’re shooting, and you may have to make up for it in editing or in the way you work with picture quality or sound later. So, all of those are fun. I enjoy all of it really.
(L to R) Aaron McPherson as “Hilts,” Kelsey Grammer as “Brynner” and Dolph Lundgren as “Johansen” in the action thriller, ‘Wanted Man,’ a Quiver Distribution release. Photo courtesy of Quiver Distribution.
MF: Did your decades of experience making action movies come in handy when you were creating and shooting the action sequences for ’Wanted Man’?
DL: It does come in handy, and I’ve done a lot of action with various directors and different stunt coordinators. I have my way to shoot it so I can try to get as many cuts as possible in the shortest amount of time possible since when you edit, you just need more angles to build an action scene, usually you need a lot of angles. It’s a function of the number of cuts, how good it’s going to be usually. So, I think my experience comes in handy. Also speaking to the actors and talking to the stunt guys. I mean, I have a lot of respect for stunt people and always listen to them and safety is first. But I think there is a way not to waste time doing action, which I’ve been in movies where they waste a lot of time shooting stuff that I know we were not going to use.
MF: Finally, can you give an update on the long rumored ‘Drago’ movie? Is that project still happening and are you still involved in it?
DL: I was involved in it. It was in the works for a while. I think what happened was there was some corporates changes. MGM got a new president and new ownership, and things were sidelined for a while. Then ‘Creed III’ came out and did very well. So, ‘Creed IV,’ they started planning that. They’re trying to figure out where to put Drago in the franchise. Where does he fit in? Probably between ‘III’ and ‘IV.’ So, it’s still on the works. I think it would be a great project and it would be something fun to work with (Sylvester) Stallone on because he created those characters and he’s very smart about it. So hopefully it’ll get made at some point before I’m too old.
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What is the plot of ‘Wanted Man’?
Travis Johansen (Lundgren) is an aging detective, whose outdated policing methods have given the department a recent public relations problem. To save his job, he is sent to Mexico to extradite a female witness (Christina Villa) to the murders of two DEA agents. Once there, he finds not only his old opinions challenged, but that bad hombres on both sides of the border are now gunning for him and his witness.
(L to R) Dolph Lundgren as “Johansen” and Christina Villa as “Rosa” in the action thriller, ‘Wanted Man,’ a Quiver Distribution release. Photo courtesy of Quiver Distribution.
Directed once again by James Wan (who made the billion-plus success that was the first ‘Aquaman’), it arrives following a wave of delays and changes. So, does the sequel live up to the silly-but-fun original?
Regrettably, we must answer a solid no to the question. ‘The Lost Kingdom’ feels more like a senior handing in a sloppy work project, little concerned with how it’ll be received.
This is superhero storytelling on autopilot, another world-threatening situation, another rote test for the hero, another villain with even less shading than he had in the first movie. And fairly shocking given the people involved and how they managed last time.
Written once again by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, based on a story by not just director Wan but also Momoa and his producing partner Thomas Pa’a Sibbett, this is the sort of film that makes you wonder just why it took so many people to come up with a movie screenplay this basic.
Mired in some very obvious tropes and storylines, ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ is really just the 7500th telling of the “hero tested by returning villain who has found some dark ancient power to help his cause, forcing the protagonist to team up with another former antagonist to save the world”. And if you felt me falling asleep as I wrote that, imagine what I went through during the movie.
This is a film that borrows so heavily from other, better movies –– a dab of ‘The Matrix’ (in Black Manta’s squid-like attack craft), a splash of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ (the backstory for the ancient power at the heart of the story) and just a sprinkling of ‘Black Panther’ (both in Arthur’s clash with someone who feels they should have his job and in a way we won’t explore here).
Aside from a callback to the drumming octopus known as Topo (an element from the comics that served as a one-off joke in the first movie but is here revealed to be an intelligence agent and a source of more occasional humor in this one) there is very little that feels at all fresh or truly interesting here.
The whole affair is tired and repetitive, the treatment of the story beyond rudimentary and the drama only really serving to stitch together set pieces that themselves come across as several different variations on the idea of Aquaman and Patrick Wilson’s Orm running from things or punching them.
Wan, meanwhile, gets to inject some of his usual horror overtones into the movie –– one or two sequences work (such as Black Manta showing up at Aquaman’s father’s house in darkness after he has conspired to shut off the power). But in general, let down by varied quality of the visual effects (for a film that took this long to finish, you have to worry about some sequences that look like they’re from the theme park version of the movie), this is certainly among his lesser movies.
The re-shoots and changes that happened along the way clearly had an effect, and most of what still works about the movie is by sheer luck rather than design.
If there is any real saving grace in the movie, it’s Momoa’s committed performance as the leading man, full of wisecracks (even if he does start to sound like Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man at times) and finding fun chemistry with Wilson’s Orm.
For his part, Wilson gives good snark, fully embracing the idea of the frustrated ruler who can’t stand the doofus who is on what he sees as his rightful throne.
Elsewhere? Poor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is reduced to an afterthought as a villain, who has his vengeful mission but very little else to do. At his side is Randall Park as scientist Dr. Stephen Shin, making the most of a nebbishy stock character and scoring one or two laughs.
And the rest of the heroic characters are barely there –– Temuera Morrison as Aquaman’s father Tom has a couple of solid scenes with his son and grandson, but you have to wonder why Nicole Kidman bothered showing up again as Momoa’s character’s mother beyond a contract and a payday.
Coming out even worse, though, is Amber Heard, who occasionally appears to be added in through visual effects and beyond one helpful moment, has so little to do you can understand Heard’s concerns that her character has been reduced to nearly nothing.
As an ending to the DC universe in its pre-Gunn era, this is like the mess of sticky drinks left on the floor after a party –– there’s no real wrap-up for anything and the usual teasing hint for future stories is pretty much absent.
Given how Wan, Momoa and the rest brought some knowing fun to a character who has been a joke in the past, it’s all the more disappointing that their follow-up is a bombastic but hollow enterprise, a less-than-satisfying end to a movie universe.
‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ receives 6 out of 10 stars.
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What’s the story of ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’?
Having failed to defeat Aquaman (Jason Momoa) the first time, Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), still driven by the need to avenge his father’s death, will stop at nothing to take Aquaman down once and for all.
This time Black Manta is more formidable than ever before, wielding the power of the mythic Black Trident, which unleashes an ancient and malevolent force. To defeat him, Aquaman will turn to his imprisoned brother Orm (Patrick Wilson), the former King of Atlantis, to forge an unlikely alliance. Together, they must set aside their differences in order to protect their kingdom and save Aquaman’s family, and the world, from irreversible destruction.
Who else is in ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’?
The cast for the new superhero outing also includes Amber Heard as Mera, Nicole Kidman as Atlanna, Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus and Randall Park as Dr. Stephen Shin.
(L to R) Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson as “Easy Day”, Megan Fox as “Gina”, Dolph Lundgren as “Gunner Jensen,” Jacob Scipio as “Galan” Andy Garcia as “Marsh” in ‘Expend4bles.’ Copyright: EX4 Productions, Inc. 2022.
Action stars Jason Statham and Sylvester Stallone return for ‘Expend4bles’, and they’ve brought the team along for the ride. The film promises to be bigger and more explosive than before, return to its R-rating, and introduce a cast of new characters to the franchise.
Where Can I Watch ‘Expend4bles’?
Jason Statham as Lee Christmas in ‘The Expendables 4.’
‘Expend4bles’ was released domestically on September 22, 2023. Prior to the movie’s release, standee posters for the film were revealed at CinemaCon in 2022, where attendees were treated to an exclusive viewing of the teaser trailer during Lionsgate’s presentation.
Currently, the movie can be found showing in some theaters, but it has already made its way to VOD. Available to rent for $19.99 or purchase for $24.99 on mainstream services such as Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Pay, YouTube, Vudu, and Microsoft.
For those waiting on a home release, the movie will be released on UHD, Blu-Ray, and DVD on December 26, just barely missing the holidays. ‘Expend4bles’ has a total runtime of 1 hour and 43 minutes.
Sylvester Stallone as Barney Ross in ‘The Expendables 4.’
Lionsgate, the studio behind the action franchise, recently signed a deal with Peacock and Roku to stream the films once it is finished with its theatrical run. However, there are no confirmed dates announced for when ‘Expend4bles’ will stream on Peacock or Roku.
Viewers can also look to Starz once the movie is available for streaming.
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The Newcomers
(L to R) Megan Fox, Andy García, and Jacob Scipio in ‘The Expendables 4.’
Almost 10 years since the third ‘Expendables,’ the fourth installment is Stallon’s final bow in the franchise as he passes the torch on to Jason Statham. As Barney’s past catches up with him, it is up to Christmas and new team members to carry out the team’s mission. Fox and Statham share the screen with witty banter and have nice chemistry, further exploring the character of Christmas.
Sylvester Stallone as Barney Ross in ‘Expend4bles.’
The first two films in the franchise were rated R for its gore and violence, which, given its premise and action scenes, made sense. However, the third film, ‘The Expendables 3,’ got a PG-13 rating in order to capture a wider audience. This meant the film was essentially bloodless. Fans of the series were unhappy with the PG-13 rating and spoke out via social media for future films to return to its R rating.
In the official red band trailer for ‘Expend4bles’, it opens with the title card, “We heard you loud and clear,” followed by fans’ comments asking for more blood and violence and to reinstate its R-rating. The video goes on to show endless action, accompanied by plenty of blood and gore, to satisfy the fans.
In an interview with Mandatory, Sylvester Stallone says he believes the PG-13 rating was a miscalculation.
“Absolutely unequivocally yes. I believe it was a horrible miscalculation on everyone’s part in trying to reach a wider audience, but in doing such, diminish the violence that the audience expects. I’m quite certain it won’t happen again.”
Watch the official red band trailer for ‘Expend4bles’ below:
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The official synopsis for ‘Expend4bles’ is below:
“A new generation of stars join the world’s top action stars for an adrenaline-fueled adventure in Expend4bles. Reuniting as the team of elite mercenaries, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, and Sylvester Stallone are joined for the first time by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Megan Fox, Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, Jacob Scipio, Levy Tran, and Andy Garcia. Armed with every weapon they can get their hands on and the skills to use them, The Expendables are the world’s last line of defense and the team that gets called when all other options are off the table. But new team members with new styles and tactics are going to give “new blood” a whole new meaning.”
Who Is In The Cast of ‘Expend4bles’?
(L to R) Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Levy Tran, Jacob Scipio in ‘The Expendables 4.’
Armed with every weapon they can get their hands on and the skills to use them, The Expendables, led by Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) and Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), are the world’s last line of defense and the team that gets called when all other options are off the table. When The Expendables are assigned a mission to stop a terrorist organization from smuggling nuclear warheads that will ignite a conflict between Russia and the U.S., new team members with new styles and tactics are going to give “new blood” a whole new meaning.
‘Expend4bles’ is a step up from the last film in the franchise and wisely takes the series back to its roots focusing on Barney Ross and Lee Christmas’s friendship. New recruits Megan Fox and 50 Cent infuse fresh blood into the franchise while director Scott Waugh creates some incredible action sequences including a motorcycle chase on a cargo ship.
Story and Direction
(L to R) Director Scott Waugh and Andy Garcia on the set of ‘Expend4bles.’ Photo credit: Yana Blajeva.
2010’s original ‘The Expendables’ promised to bring legendary action stars like Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, and Dolph Lundgren together with modern action stars like Jason Statham, Jet Li and Terry Crews in hopes that they would eventually take over the franchise. But as the sequels began to come out, adding more and more classic action stars like Jean-Claude Van Damme, Mel Gibson, Harrison Ford, and Wesley Snipes, the idea of Stallone passing the series to Statham started to disappear. It was clear that this was Stallone’s franchise and he has no plans to retire.
However, that has all changed for ‘Expend4bles,’ which finally see’s Stallone’s Barney Ross passing the baton to Statham’s Lee Christmas, who is joined by some returning members as well as some new faces. When an unknown villain from Barney’s past resurfaces and hires terrorist Suarto Rahmat (Uwais) to start a war between Russia and the U.S., CIA agent Marsh (Garcia) hires The Expendables to stop him. But when Barney goes missing and Christmas refuses to follow orders, Marsh replaces him as team leader with Gina (Fox), who is also Christmas’ girlfriend, and she leads the rest of the team on mission to bring down Rahmat. But when they are captured, it is up to Christmas, with the help of Barney’s old friend Decha (Jaa), to rescue his team and bring the mysterious villain, who is behind the scenes pulling the strings, to justice.
While Stallone still has a major presence in the film, it was wise for the franchise to let his character step aside for Christmas and a new cast of characters to take the lead, which has breathed fresh life into the dying franchise. The tone of the film is off at times, still holding on to the over-the-top masculinity and silly humor of the past movies, but the new characters and explosive action are enough to overcome it.
Director Scott Waugh, best known for his action-driven work on ‘Act of Valor,’ was a good choice to direct the fourth installment, as it feels more like the beginning of a new franchise than the end of an old one. Waugh allows the actors, especially Statham, to do what they do best, and complements their over-the-top characters with excellent action sequences including a fantastic motorcycle chase on a cargo ship.
Jason Statham as Lee Christmas in ‘The Expendables 4.’
Make no mistakes, this is Jason Statham’s movie. The actor, who has played second banana to Stallone since the beginning of the franchise is finally given his moment to shine and carries the movie well. We get a chance to know Christmas a little better in this film, exploring his deep connection to Barney, and his new relationship with Gina. Statham has fun banter with Stallone, as well as a nice chemistry with Fox, and in the second act is given a ‘Die Hard’ like plot that works well with his character and the overall story of the film.
The New Recruits
(L to R) Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson as “Easy Day”, Megan Fox as “Gina”, Dolph Lundgren as “Gunner Jensen,” Jacob Scipio as “Galan” Andy Garcia as “Marsh” in ‘Expend4bles.’ Copyright: EX4 Productions, Inc. 2022.
The film introduces four new Expendables members, and each one really has a chance to shine. Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson plays Easy Day, and he fits in well with Lundgren and Couture’s returning characters and is a solid addition to the ensemble. Actress Levy Tran also makes an impression as Lash. Her character forms a deep connection with Toll Road and she has some fun scenes with Randy Couture. Another standout is Jacob Scipio who plays Galan, the son of Galgo, Antonio Banderas’ character from ‘The Expendables 3.’ It’s a nice bridge to the previous film, and Scipio is delightful doing his best Banderas impression.
But of all the new cast members, it’s really Megan Fox that steals the show, as the actress commands the screen as Gina. It seems like Fox was born to be an action star, and I don’t know why she doesn’t star in every action movie, she’s that good! She completely holds her own in scenes with Stallone, and especially Statham, and is as fun to watch in the action sequences as any of her co-stars.
While the series has featured female Expendable members in the past like Ronda Rousey’s Luna, Gina is a fully formed character, and is as respected as a member of the team as any of the other male counterparts. In fact, the movie sets up that she is such a badass, she is the natural choice to lead the team when Barney and Christmas are unable. Kudos to the filmmakers for creating such a strong female character and casting an actress who can handle the action as well as Fox does.
Returning Favorites
(L to R) Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Dolph Lundgren, and director Scott Waugh on the set of ‘Expend4bles.’ Photo credit: Yana Blajeva.
While his role is limited, it’s always great seeing Sylvester Stallone on screen. He clearly has an understanding of who this character is, and again, has some fun scenes with Statham. But I was also impressed at how all the characters were given something to do and room to grow, while no one was left behind.
Dolph Lundgren’s Gunner, who had been the most unpredictable member of the team in past installments, is now a loyal teammate and the unofficial philosopher of the group. Randy Couture has always been the most forgettable member of the Expendables, Toll Road, but in this movie has more time to explore his character’s humor and a new friendship with Tran’s Lash.
The Villains and Other Misfires
Tony Jaa in ‘The Expendables 4.’
Actor Iko Uwais plays the main antagonist Suarto Rahmat and is very good in his action sequences, but he’s not as strong a villain as Jean-Claude Van Damme or Mel Gibson in past installments. Those villains had personal connections to Barney and his team, and without that emotional connection, Uwais’ performance feels empty. There is an attempt made to connect the “mystery big bad” to Barney’s past, it’s a reveal I won’t spoil but it’s pretty obvious from the beginning who the mystery villain is and it won’t come as a surprise to the audience the way it was intended.
The movie also fails the most when it is trying to shoehorn in humor, which usually does not work and falls flat. A few fun one liners are expected in any good action movie, but there are entire scenes dedicated to comedy, that just don’t feel needed for this type of movie.
Final Thoughts
‘Expend4bles’ feels like a fresher installment of the franchise than the last one, and is a good start to a new series, if that is the direction they choose to go in. Director Scott Waugh brings a terrific action sensibility and creates some mind-bowing sequences. Stallone tees up the film well for Statham, who does a good job taking the reins, and new additions like Fox, Jackson, Scipio and Tran prove that there is still life left in this aging franchise.
‘Expend4bles’ receives 7.5 stars out of 10.
‘The Expendables 4’ is scheduled to be released in the United States on September 22, 2023, by Lionsgate.
Armed with every weapon they can get their hands on and the skills to use them, The Expendables, led by Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) and Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), are the world’s last line of defense and the team that gets called when all other options are off the table. When The Expendables are assigned a mission to stop a terrorist organization from smuggling nuclear warheads that will ignite a conflict between Russia and the U.S., new team members with new styles and tactics are going to give “new blood” a whole new meaning.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with director Scott Waugh about his work on ‘Expend4bles,’ the challenges of joining a franchise already in progress, if Sylvester Stallone is really passing the series over to Jason Statham, Lee Christmas going all ‘Die Hard’, shooting a motorcycle chase on a cargo ship, why he enjoyed working with Megan Fox, and how ‘The Expendables 3’s Antonio Banderas almost returned for the new movie.
(L to R) Levy Tran and director Scott Waugh on the set of ‘Expend4bles.’ Photo credit: Yana Blajeva.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Waugh and producers Kevin King-Templeton and Les Weldon.
Moviefone: To begin with, as a filmmaker, can you talk about the challenges of joining a movie series already in progress and coming in to direct the fourth installment of a popular franchise like ‘The Expendables’?
Scott Waugh: Well, I think the challenge is you never want to deviate from the brand. The fans love ‘The Expendables.’ They love the tone of ‘Expendables.’ It’s a brand that doesn’t take itself too seriously. I always say it’s an escapism type of movie. You leave our dark world we live in and pay money to go somewhere else and have some fun. That’s ‘Expendables’. So for me, what I really was focused on the whole time was how do I bring something fresh and fun, but throwback to the original movie? So we were extremely hyper-focused on going back to the original movie and maintaining that core cast and the fun of it, tonally getting back on message, getting back to rated R, and getting back to the fun violence. But then I wanted to elevate the action and the fights, and take it to a new level. That’s when we brought in the Hong Kong fight team that I worked with on ‘Hidden Strike’ and really just tried to elevate all of that.
Sylvester Stallone as Barney Ross in ‘The Expendables 4.’
MF: The movie introduces the idea of Barney Ross handing over the team to Lee Christmas, and in a way, Sylvester Stallone handing the franchise over to Jason Statham. Can you talk about that theme in the movie and was Stallone cool with the idea of taking a back seat to Statham and the rest of the crew?
SW: I think the idea that Stallone’s passing this to Statham is exciting. Stallone still amazes me, his physical capability at his age. It’s still unbelievable to me. I’m 53 and busted up, and somehow he is in his late seventies and can still do it. But I think for Sly, he’s in a place in his life where time is super important to him. Being on the full run of an ‘Expendables’ movie takes up a lot of his time and I fully respect that. Jason’s my age and really is still excited about continually working a lot. So it was a natural pass. Now, I’ll say, I definitely don’t think Sly is out of the brand. I think Sly will always be a part of it. He’s the starter of ‘The Expendables’ and the original director. So I think it’s new blood with the old.
Jason Statham as Lee Christmas in ‘The Expendables 4.’
MF: The second act of the film sees Lee Christmas taking on a group of bad guys by himself and it seemed a little ‘Die Hard’ inspired. Can you talk about that sequence and was that what you were going for?
SW: So look, the story itself is a revenge and redemption story, and it does come around the character of Lee Christmas. So I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s a Christmas story, but it definitely leans on his character because of what his character’s going through. But there is this wonderful moment in the end of act two that I really feel like, does the franchise have the boldness to do what you think they might do? I don’t want to give away the plot, but we do something that will really make your eye drop. I’m not going to give it away, but I’ll just say this, it stays on message with the brand.
(L to R) Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Dolph Lundgren, and director Scott Waugh on the set of ‘Expend4bles.’ Photo credit: Yana Blajeva.
MF: There is an incredible action sequence involving a high speed motorcycle chase that takes place on a cargo ship. Can you talk about choreographing and shooting that scene?
SW: I come from motocross. I was super excited about trying to bring something fresh to the ship because I’m like, “What can we do on the ship because it’s a ship?” I’m like, “What about a motorcycle chase on the ship?” That’s how we designed this whole thing. Then the exciting part was I go, “Man, we got to do something super cool. We need to bring in somebody like Robbie Maddison and do some badass X Games jumps and get that quintessential moment in the movie.” Luckily, we were able to get Robbie to come in and do the big jump for us. I think it’s just one of those moments that hopefully makes you smile because it’s so crazy, so cool, and so Christmas.
Megan Fox as Gina in ‘Expend4bles.’
MF: While there have been female Expendable members in past movies, Megan Fox’s Gina is different because she is also a team leader and receives the same level of respect as Ross and Christmas. Can you talk about the importance of creating a female character who is really on the same level as the strongest Expendable members?
SW: Look, I think it was definitely a part of the script when I came in with Megan’s character, Gina, and I really enjoyed the fact that there was a female character that was on equal ground and was badass. It’s incredible working with somebody like Megan because she doesn’t give herself enough credit. I was working with her. I’m like, “You’re so physically talented,” and I think she’s a wonderful actress and she fits in so well with the rest of the guys because she can hold her own weight. She doesn’t take any shit from any of the guys, and I just love that. That’s why I think she just fits in with those type of big personalities.
Jacob Scipio as Galan in ‘Expend4bles.’
MF: Finally, actor Jacob Scipio plays Galan, the son of Antonio Banderas character, Galgo from ‘The Expendables 3.’ But I understand that originally Banderas was set to return but you just couldn’t work out his shooting schedule, is that correct?
SW: That’s exactly it. When I read it, I was expecting Antonio was coming in. Then when they said, “We can’t make it work out with Antonio’s schedule,” I was like, “But the character’s so great and he’s so important throughout all those moments.” So I thought about it. I came back to the producers and I said, “What if we make it his son? Galgo was his father. Galan is the new character and Galan could be just like his dad with the same personality.” So that’s when we came up with that character and then we casted Jacob and he did a great job.
(L to R) Director Scott Waugh and Andy Garcia on the set of ‘Expend4bles.’ Photo credit: Yana Blajeva.
The new action movie ‘The Best Man,’ which opens in theaters, On Demand and digital April 21st, was written and directed by Shane Dax Taylor (‘Bloodworth’).
What is the plot of ‘The Best Man?’
In ‘The Best Man,’ when a team of ruthless mercenaries violently seize control of a remote resort hotel looking for revenge, former Special Ops soldiers Bradley (Brendan Fehr) and Anders (Dolph Lundgren), who are attending their best friend Cal’s (Luke Wilson) wedding to Brook (Nicky Whelen), along with the bride’s sister Hailey (Scout Taylor-Compton), must rely only on their wits and training to combat the terrorists and save the hostages held for ransom.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Dolph Lundgren about his work on ‘The Best Man,’ his character, his approach to his work now, the ‘Die Hard’ type plot, working with Luke Wilson, playing the piano, and even teased the upcoming ‘The Expendables 4.’
Dolph Lundgren as Anders in the action film, ‘The Best Man,’ a Saban Films release. Photo courtesy of Saban Films.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch the interview.
Moviefone: To begin with, your character has been to war and its changed him. Where is he at mentally when the film begins?
Dolph Lundgren: Well, the way it was written was this slightly lighthearted character who drinks and he is a bit of a rogue, he’s a bit of a drunk, but he is still sharp enough to do his job. So, I sort of focused on that part of him, not the military side of it because that I could do in my sleep and so many people play that. So I was trying to have fun with the character and make him a little irresponsible, and I thought it came across fairly well, at least in the first half of the movie.
MF: Can you expand on your approach as an actor when you are playing a role like this and the idea of “not playing the military side” of the character?
DL: Well, yes. I started that when I got older. When I was younger, you played a tough guy because it’s in your DNA and you’re trying to impress people or impress yourself. I don’t know. But I sort of started doing that. I think it started with ‘The Expendables’ franchise where I had this character in the first ‘Expendables.’ He was supposed to be killed off actually, but he was kind of a bit of a drunk, crazy and certainly didn’t care that he looked tough and he didn’t care what he looked like. He didn’t dress all cool and his hair was all hanging around. So I think it started there and I realized that people seem to enjoy that, and they kind of set me apart a little bit. There’s an ‘Expendables 4’ coming out, and I enjoyed going back and having fun with that unpredictability and also because I’m such a big guy. If you’re bigger than everybody else, you have to play something else. You can’t play tough because then it’s tough upon tough and it doesn’t really work. I mean, unless you’re a villain or somebody who’s totally over the top.
Dolph Lundgren as Anders in the action film, ‘The Best Man,’ a Saban Films release. Photo courtesy of Saban Films.
MF: You have a few scenes in the movie where your character plays the piano. Was that improvised, and is that an example of you choosing to focus on another aspect of the character?
DL: Yes, I enjoyed that. That was in the script and I was afraid that it was going to be covered more in detail and I was going to have to practice. But I kind of spoke to the pianist a little bit about how to do it, but you’d only see me play and it was more the playfulness of that moment. I used to play trombone and I used to play drums in a couple of different bands, so I like music and I thought it was an interesting little departure.
MF: The movie is sort of ‘Die Hard’ at a wedding, and if terrorists were going to attack at your wedding, these are the guys you want there. Can you talk about how your character springs into action when the trouble starts?
DL: Yeah, you’re right. I mean, everybody’s armed for some reason. I was trying to figure that out, but I guess it’s in America. It could be in a state where everybody’s got a carry license, which they seem to have because everybody’s got a concealed weapon. Yeah, it’s like trying to rob a sheriff’s convention, bad idea, and I think here Anders and the other guys are ex-military. It was just a bad idea for these guys to try what they were trying to do.
Luke Wilson as Cal in the action film, ‘The Best Man,’ a Saban Films release. Photo courtesy of Saban Films.
MF: Finally, have a great scene at the bar with Luke Wilson, what was it like working with him?
DL: I loved working with Luke. He is a lot of fun, very easy, easygoing guy, relaxed, and he improvised a lot of that scene. We ended up improvising and he started it, so he started improvising and I enjoyed it. I enjoyed working with him. I wish he would’ve had more scenes. Maybe next time.
(L to R) Luke Wilson as Cal, Nicky Whelan as Brooke and Dolph Lundgren as Anders in the action film,’The Best Man,’ a Saban Films release. Photo courtesy of Saban Films.
