Given that The Expendables 3 was the lowest grossing of the macho action franchise, the idea of a spinoff should probably be tabled for now. We've known for awhile about The Expendabelles, a female-led spinoff set in the same universe as Sylvester Stallone's film. Perhaps the hope is it will attract the same kind of attention as Paul Feig's Ghostbusters, and if recent casting reports are true it may do just that.
A few months ago Naomi Watts' name emerged as a contender to become one of the Expendabelles, and now The Tracking Board says she is officially on board. If true, she would reportedly take the role of "Nancy, a guns and munitions specialist who lives a cookie-cutter soccer-mom life in LA, keeping her profession a secret from her family." Also in talks to join her is Kate Beckinsale, who has considerably more action movie experience thanks to the Underworld movies. She would take the lead as Tegan, an ex-CIA operative and the team's field leader. The film, which will be directed by Robert Luketic, follows a group of female spies who must rescue a weapons engineer from a womanizing Sultan.
Mila Kunis, Marcia Gay Harden, and Li Bingbing (Resident Evil: Retribution) are also fielding offers but have yet to accept. At one point there was an attempt to get Cameron Diaz, Chris Evans, Meryl Streep, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Bell, and Milla Jojovich but it doesn't look like they will be involved. Two who definitely will make an appearance are Stallone and Bruce Willis, reprising their roles from The Expendables.
Watts was last seen in Best Picture winner, Birdman, and the comedy St. Vincent. Beckinsale was recently in the psychological thriller, Stonehearst Asylum.
