Fresh off the success of new Rocky and Rambo flicks, Sylvester Stallone is working hard on “The Expendables,” followed by a fifth John Rambo film. This time Rambo will try to save a little girl caught in the drug-trafficking war on the border between America and Mexico. It is rumored that it will be heavily influenced by Westerns such as “The Searchers.” But before that comes to be, “The Expendables” will have to finish post-production and be released on August 20, 2010. The film, about a team of mercenaries sent to South America to overthrow a dictator and his army, is basically porn for action movie junkies, what with its cast of Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Mickey Rourke, Dolph Lundgren, Steve Austin, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, and many more. And it was just recently confirmed that Bruce Willis has now joined the Most Ultimate Movie Ever.™

Jon Hamm (“Mad Men”) has joined Emily Browning, Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Chung, Jena Malone, and Carla Gugino in Zack Snyder’s follow-up to “Watchmen,” the 1950s-set “dark, hardcore, actiony” story, titled “Sucker Punch,” about a girl sent to a mental hospital by her evil stepfather. Before she’s to be lobotomized, she imagines a fantasy world that sounds an awful lot like a very, very violent “Wizard of Oz.”

Continuing the theme of over-the-top violence, Nicolas Cage will star in “Drive Angry,” Patrick Lussier’s follow-up to his 3D remake of “My Bloody Valentine.” Cage plays a father whose daughter is killed and finds his granddaughter kidnapped. He then goes on a crazy road rampage revenge streak. Production starts in April in Louisiana.

To calm things down (though only a bit, looking back at Gus van Sant’s entire filmography) Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, and Bryce Howard will be producing Jason Lew’s first screenplay, “Restless,” with van Sant set to direct. The story is unknown, but it’s said to be a “contemporary and distinctive take on young love.” Van Sant last directed “Milk” and is also set to adapt “The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test.”

Unoriginal Content

Comic Adaptations of the Week—There’s more drama in the Marvel/Disney acquisition. Fox seems to be a little blue about the whole situation, but they do have one ace up their sleeves: as long as they make more movies based on the Marvel characters to which they own the rights, said rights will be theirs “in perpetuity.” Which is why, right after the Disney deal was announced, Fox appointed Akiva Goldsman as producer of a “Fantastic Four” reboot, with “Heroes” scribe Michael Green on scripting duty. Also in this perpetual rights standoff are the characters from “X-Men,” “Daredevil,” and “Silver Surfer.” Meanwhile, “The Green Hornet” has been moved from June of 2010 to December, which will give more time for post-production and Comic-Con marketing, and Nikolaj Arcel (“Island of Lost Souls”) will be directing “Deadman” for Guillermo del Toro.

Sequels of the Week—Peter Craig will write “Bad Boys 3” for Columbia Pictures and the Weinstein Company has decided to make a third “Halloween” film in 3D for next summer, though it’s not known if writer/director Rob Zombie will return.

Final Words

The Academy Awards are turning Communist!