Unlike its two franchise predecessors, The Expendables 3 entered theaters not with a restrictive R-rating, but instead a much more teen friendly PG-13. While many fans saw this as a big mistake, noting that the series originated as an ode to the hyper-violent and bloody action movies of the 1980s, it's one that Lionsgate will be doing its part to correct when the film arrives on Blu-ray and DVD. That's right: The Expendables 3 unrated cut will soon be coming to a store near you.
IGN broke the news of the MPAA-untouched Expendables 3 cut and notes in its write-up that the extended version of the summer blockbuster will feature "more action, more explosions, more fights -- and a higher body count" than the film that made its way into theaters this past August. There unfortunately aren't any specific details available about how different the new version is or how much longer it is than the original, but the site notes that it will be available in a special combo pack that also includes the theatrical edition, a DVD version, and a digital copy.
At this point, many of you who saw The Expendables 3 in theaters may be asking yourselves, "How could it actually get any more violent?" As our own Sean O'Connell noted when the film first arrived in theaters, it is perhaps one of the most brutal PG-13 films that has ever been released, but the MPAA decided to give it a pass because the theatrical cut featured virtually no blood (because the consequences of violence is the problem, right?), and had less than two utterances of the word "Fuck." If they chose to, Lionsgate could have just added a ton of CGI blood and cursing to the movie to make it an Unrated Version, and I'm not entirely sure anybody would actually have noticed.
The Expendables 3 Blu-ray and DVD will be available on November 25th - the same day that it shows up on On Demand - but those of you who are waiting for the announcement of an Expendables 4 may not want to hold your breath. Performing far worse than its predecessors, the Patrick Hughes-directed film managed to make only $39 million during its domestic box office run, and opened at #4 with a dismal $15 million take its first weekend. The numbers certainly look better when you factor in the international numbers - which punch the total up to $204 million - but that sum still pales in comparison to the $305 million worldwide take of The Expendables 2 and the $274 million success of the first film back in 2010.
To watch the trailer for the unrated cut of The Expendables 3, head on over to Page 2:
