Key Release Dates
Expend4bles
Release Date:2023-09-22
The Expendables 4, a.k.a. EXPEND4BLES, returns to the hard R-rated beginnings of the franchise, delivering over-the-top action thanks to a believably rowdy and dangerous crew of mercenaries. The series has long succeeded in part thanks to its impressive cast of action icons; this time around, new faces join the old favorites and tease an evolution of the franchise. Still, The Expendables 4 has all the action and humor that and made the series a hit for over a decade.
Although it stays true to its franchise roots, The Expendables 4 also expands on what came before in terms of its action. The addition of cast members like martial arts legends Tony Jaa and Iko Uwais has given The Expendables 4 the chance to deliver fight scenes more visceral and engaging than ever before. To bring those scenes and the rest of the film’s stunts to life, the creative team enlisted stunt coordinator Alan Ng. Ng is a storied stunt performer and coordinator as well as a frequent collaborator of Jackie Chan’s; Ng’s other credits include The Karate Kid, The Spy Next Door, and Hidden Strike.
Alan Ng shared his experience on The Expendables 4 with Screen Rant, revealing the freedom he had as a stunt coordinator and his collaboration with the cast. Note: This interview was conducted during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, and the movie covered here would not exist without the labor of the writers and actors in both unions. This interview has also been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Alan Ng On The Expendables 4
Screen Rant: How much freedom did Scott Waugh and the rest of the team give you to come up with the film’s fight scenes?
Alan Ng: Scott gave us so much freedom to create the fight scenes, and Jason gave his full support to create the fight scenes. There was a lot of pressure, as we had come on board when shooting had already started. We didn’t have any time for pre-vis, but Jason trusted us to create the fight scenes without even seeing any pre-vis or footage. He would arrive on set, run through the fight, make a few changes, and then we would film the fight scenes with no rehearsals. I’m very grateful that Jason and Scott put so much trust in me and my team to create some awesome fight scenes in such a tight time frame.
What was your favorite sequence to work on in Expend4bles?
It would definitely be Jason and Iko’s fight scene. They are both incredible and the scene really shows that.
When you’re working with action veterans like Tony Jaa and Jason Statham, do they supply a lot of their own stunt ideas?
Tony Jaa and Jason are great, they have so much experience and they are very professional. We would work out the fight scene, they would see it once, tweak it a little bit and we would go ahead and film it. It was so easy working with them.
Who on the Expend4bles cast was the most interested in doing their own stunt and fight work?
It would be Jason. He does the fight and stunts himself and picks up the choreography after seeing it once. He moves extremely well; his timing and spacing is fantastic. The fight between Jason and Iko really shows how talented they both are, as we only had 1 day and a half to film it and they were able to do it with no problem.
The action in Expend4bles is so big and over-the-top. Is it challenging to come up with stunts to match that intensity?
Yes, the action side like the explosions and gun fights are always great, but I wanted to focus on the hand-to-hand and weapons combat to give Expend4bles a different feel and edge to the previous Expendables films.
How smooth was the process of filming the movie’s action sequences? Did anything go wrong?
It was very smooth. I had a good team to support me, and everyone did great.
Is there something that you learned through your collaborations with Jackie Chan that has helped you in projects like this one?
I’ve learned so many things from Jackie; even now, after 15 years of working with Jackie, I’m still learning. He is a legend, and he has so much experience. Having previously worked a lot in Hollywood, he knows how different it is to Asia.
You’ve taken on so many roles in filmmaking—fight choreographer, stunt coordinator, action director, stunt performer—which is the most rewarding for you?
It would be being accepted into Jackie Chan’s stunt team. It really is a dream come true, though I do miss the days when I was just a stunt performer and didn’t have the pressures of being an action director or stunt coordinator.
You’ve worked with so many incredible action stars. Is there someone you hope to work with in the future?
I would love to work with Keanu Reeves, Tom Cruise, and Chris Hemsworth.
About The Expendables 4
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.
Check back for our other The Expendables 4 interviews:
- Director Scott Waugh
- Producers Kevin King Templeton & Les Weldon
The Expendables 4 hits theaters on September 22nd.
