EXCLUSIVE: TV action stars are getting The Expendables treatment as Sylvester Stallone’s hit feature franchiseis heading to television. Fox is developing The Expendables, an event series based on the movies, with thefranchise’swriter and star Stallone executive producing alongside the films’ producer Avi Lerner.
Writing/executive producingthe TV adaptation arefeature writing duoGreg Coolidge (Ride Along) &Kirk Wardand NCIS: LA executive producer/showrunner Shane Brennan. It is described as a fun action drama that unites iconic TV stars as a new team of highly-skilled heroes who are on a mission to stop a dangerous terrorist.The project hails from Lionsgate TV, whose feature sibling distributes The Expendables movies, and CBS TV Studios, where Brennan is under an overall deal.Also executive producing the potential event series, for which Fox has ordered a script, isKevin King, long-time executive at Stallone’s Rogue Marble production company.
There is no cast attached or approached yet but the producers have plenty ofbeloved TV action stars to choose from:Walker Texas Ranger‘s Chuck Norris, who already is part of The Expendables feature franchise, 24‘s Kiefer Sutherland, Xena‘s Lucy Lawless, Alias‘ Jennifer Garner,A-Team‘s Mr. T and Strike Back‘s Sullivan Stapleton and Philip Winchester, just to name a few.
The Expendables is among the movie titles in the Lionsgate library that the company had been eying to mine for television for some time, with the idea for apotentialExpendables series first floated back in 2012.
The first three movies in The Expendables franchisee have grossed almost $800 million in the worldwide boxoffice. A fourth and fifth installment as well as a female offshoot The Expendabellesare in various stages of development.
Coolidge & Ward,repped by Paradigm andmanaged by Jay Froberg of ROAR, were recently tappedto script Roadrunner, an action comedy that hasScott EastwoodandTrace Adkinsattached to star.
NCIS veteran Brennan, repped by Paradigm and attorney Kevin Kelly, joined the mothership seriesthe beginning of Season 4 in 2006, taking the reins as showrunner the following season. He created spinoff NCIS: LA and ran both series for two years before focusing his attention solely on NCIS: LA.
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