
Move over, fellas! The ladies are setting up to take to the screen in an all-female version of The Expendables. Adi Shankar’s 1984 Private Defense Contractors has selected Dutch Southern to pen the action script. In the past, the banner has co-financed The Grey, Dredd 3D, Broken City and Killing Them Softly. They’ve also previously picked up a hitman-action spec script from Southern titled Hoof Harrington’s Greatest Hits, which was pitched as a mashup of Payback and Snatch. The company is reportedly in talks with a number of prominent action actresses, but no names have been reported as of yet. So let’s have some fun and speculate, shall we? Meet me after the jump to do some dream casting.
Variety first reported
on an all-female version of The Expendables getting underway. Let’s remember that the current iteration in theaters now, The Expendables 2, does star Nan Yu. As for who is being contacted, there are no names yet, but the history of female action heroes is not nearly as extensive as that of the boys, so let’s do some speculating:
- Linda Hamilton – A go-to action star from her Terminator days and a stint on Chuck.
- Sigourney Weaver – Her career in the Alien franchise gives Hamilton a run for her money.
- Carrie Fisher - She can handle a blaster, so why not a grenade launcher?
- Uma Thurman - All that Kill Bill training has gone to waste in recent years.
- Milla Jovovich – Resident Evil aside, I’ll just say: The Fifth Element.
- Angelina Jolie - She’s come a long way since Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and let’s not forget her driving skills from Gone in 60 Seconds.
- Michelle Rodriguez - Although she’s killed in almost as many movies as Sean Bean, Rodriguez is among the toughest of this bunch.
- Sarah Michelle Gellar – It’s getting a little thin here, but Gellar did a convincing job as Buffy the Vampire Slayer for a number of years.
- Summer Glau - From Firefly to Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Glau could make for an interesting newcomer.
- Carrie Anne Moss - Let’s bring back that leather from The Matrix.
Some other possible names include Eliza Dushku, Zoe Bell, Gina Carano and, of course, Lucy Lawless. Feel free to go crazy with your own casting (and potential titles) in the comments.

Rothrock.
Love the idea. Not sure how good the final product will be only because all these women PALE in comparison to Sigourney Weaver. Linda Hamilton is a close second. Until Weaver, there were no significant female action heroes. Since her, there’s been a role here and there for isolated stars but nothing that came close to turning into a franchise. So those roles are burned into the public consciousness like Rambo, Conan, Die Hard and all Van Damme’s roles.
Hamilton, Weaver, Thruman, Rodriguez, and Moss for sure. Sarah Michelle Gellar just does not fit with that tough group, though, whatever happened on Buffy.
How about Maggie Q? Hot, and has done action movies like MI:III and Live Free or Die Hard. And of course her series Nikita.
Maggie Q is “too new” for this… however you mentioning her reminded me of another great butt kicking lady from the 90′s and that is of course the previous version of Nikita – Peta Wilson. would be great to see her in action again… oh man… yeah… bring her in!
Top of this list should have been Michelle Yeoh. And no Pam Grier? If this is to be in the style of the Expendables they aren’t too old…
Well, one thing’s for sure. All these broads you listed can ACT a helluva lot better than Stallone, Arnie, Chuck Norris, etc.
Chloe Moretz, Lucy Liu, Rosario Dawson…
You just read my mind…..and Jennifer Garner
Oh, and a Zoë Bell vs. Gina Carano fight would be a showstopper (however dire their drama performance before and after the fight).
Michelle Yeoh!
And Ziyi Zhang, I mean come on! Crouching Tiger, Hero, Flying Daggers, she’s a lock-in because of those roles!
Uma Thurman, Michelle Yeoh and Mary Elizabeth Winstead all the way.
LMAOO. no one wants to see this.
it would be too corny. the world is sexist. deal with it
Hey bro, if you wanna come out of the closet just do it. Not doing it is making you all bent up and weird.
Agreed. This movie would be a travesty.
Sigourney or get THE FUCK OUT!
I love Gina Carano and Michelle Rodriguez!! But Angelina Jolie? No, she’s too skinny.
One of the choices is getting Linda Hamilton. She has all the movies. Look at all the latest movies and shows she’s been doing the last few years. She still gots it.
Hey bro, if you wanna come out of the closet just do it. Not doing it is making you all pent up and weird.
Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez, Zoe Bell, Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu, Angela Jolie, perhaps Linda Hamilton. Maybe Sarah Michelle Gellar if she could be one of the villains. AND Mary McCormack!!! She was a badass in “In Plain Sight”, despite that show’s chick flick undertones.
Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez, Zoe Bell, Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu, Angela Jolie, perhaps Linda Hamilton. Maybe Sarah Michelle Gellar if she could be one of the villains. AND Mary McCormack!!! She was a badass in \"In Plain Sight\", despite that show\’s chick flick undertones.
I second Michelle Yeoh, Jennifer Garner, and Zoe Saldana. I love the idea of Grace Jones, I bet she’s still impressive at age 64!
First, I’m not sure if Carrie Fisher still has it.
Second, how about Carla Gugino?
Jennifer Lawrence?
Carrie fisher can Handel the weapons remember the blues brothers she got the weapons and she knows how to use em
I’m gonna go with Glen Close, Maryl Streep and Dame Judy Dench. BRING IT!
How about Geena Davis and Cameron Diaz…
Judy Dench.
Every team needs a badass geek and there’s none badder than the real-deal original Lisbeth Salander: Noomi Rapace. Besides, her name is perfect: rapace means bird of prey in Italian; the adjective form mean predatory/rapacious in French and Italian.
What would be even better would be getting Rooney Mara in it too. Imagine it: Salander vs. Salander in that film. That would be a good selling point there.
I also second Thurman, Grier, Yeoh, Zhang, Carano, Garner, Weaver, Hamilton, Gellar, and Saldana. That’s a helluva lot of wattage there for a greenlight.
Beckinsale.
B
I’d go for Geena Davis
Nobody wants Selma Hayek for this?
“The Expendablettes”.
God I hope they don’t call it that.
P E T A W I L S O N (la femme nikita) !!!!!!
god, how come nobody mentioned her name yet?
http://img.liveinternet.ru/images/attach/2/5839/5839057_mainnikita.jpg
I definitely agree with this! Love Peta Wilson.
For the love of God, anyone but Zoe Bell. She is the most appalling actress I’ve ever seen. Makes Arnold look like Laurence Olivier.
Rothrock
Brigitte Nielsen (Red Sonja)
Anne Parillaud (Original French Nikita)
Gina Davis (best female action lead in The Long Kiss Goodnight)
Chloe Mortenz (Hit Girl)
Linda Hamilton
River Tam
that should do it
have you seen anne parillaud lately? she looks like she can barely hold her own purse…
some of those chicks are pushing 50 and looking weak, let’s be reasonable guys!
i always wanted to see peta wilson and lucy lawless on the screen together so maybe it will happen now
Zoe Saldana wasn’t mentioned in the article which is nuts. Oh, and Kate Beckinsale for sure.
Here’s a list of woman I would want in this for sure.
Sigourney Weaver
Angelina Jolie
Zoe Saldana
Kate Bekingsale
Uma Thermon
Salmaya Hayak
Linda Hamilton
Mila Jovovich
Carrie Anne Moss
Gina Carano
Lucy Liu or Maggie Q (I can’t decide; maybe both?)
Michelle Rodriguez
Carla Gugino
Helen Mirren
Cloe Grace Moretez
All I can really think of right now.
please at to the wish list
lucy lawless XENA
sharon stone original total recall + basic instinct
eliza dushku faith out of buffy
Tricia Helfer six out of battlestar
Katee Sackhoff starbuck out of battlestar
Jeri Ryan seen of nine voyager
anne hathaway catwoman batman the dark knight
The original queen of kick ass, Miss Pam Grier should atleast get a cameo….Zoe Saldana and Regina King should get mention.
let’s not forget her driving skills from Gone in 60 Seconds.
*facepalm
Bridgette nelson (RED SONJIA, COBRA)
Grace Jones (Nuff said)
Linda carter (Wonder Woman)
Sigorney weaver (Alien)
Linda Hamilton (Terminator)
Geena Davis (the Long Kiss Goodnight)
Adrienne Barbeau (Escape From New York)
Very interesting but I can’t see this getting off the ground.
Besides, woman groups would decry this as the hight of female exploitation.
terry
Why would they do that? Unless they have them running around half naked (which I doubt they would do that).
If we’re including Maggie Q and Jennifer Garner on this list, Yvonne Strahovski from Chuck should definitely be included. Very few people can pull off hot, vulnerable, and ass-kicking within a single episode.
Cynthia Rothrock
Title: The Killermaids
Director: Anne Fontaine (Michelle MacLaren)
Action Director: Nick Powell (stunt coordinator)
Cast:
Uma Thurman – Penny Coins
Sigourney Weaver – Ellis Riley
Carrie Fisher – Director Death Mother
Linda Hamilton – Gina Hammerdoom
Milla Jovovich – Yuma Kolakovich
Angelina Jolie – Mrs Debra Beck
Michelle Rodriguez – Ceaser
Sarah Michelle Gellar – Rita Stein
Summer Glau – Carla Erin Maze
Carrie Anne Moss – Inc
Eliza Dushku – Carol ‘Ref’ Jones
Zoe Bell – Tinker ‘Bells’ Jones
Gina Carano – Boxer
Lucy Lawless – Martha ‘Mad’ Maze
Synopsis:
When mothers are to old the daughters takes over. Leaving their homes to fight of a secret cult bending on a quest to introduce a new drug in a small town. Turning the inhabitance into mindless walking souls. Doing the cults bidding. The FBI calls in the force of female elite bounty hunters a.k.a. The Killermaids
First. You need a new generation of women badasses. Hamilton. Weaver. Yeah are too old to be fighting.
Unfortunately women don’t age well as men do making this a bad idea.
E
Second. In what way realistically can a bunch of women realistically engage in combat without it seeming like charlies angels or she-spies?
Cynthia Rothrock should be here. She’s one of the female action heroes of the 80s. Also throw in Michelle Yeoh and Lucy Liu.
My perfect cast
——————–
Cynthia Rothrock
Michelle Yeoh
Lucy Liu
Jennifer Garner
Anne Hathaway
Gina Carano
Angelina Jolie
nuff said.
My perfect cast
——————–
Cynthia Rothrock
Michelle Yeoh
Lucy Liu
Jennifer Garner
Anne Hathaway
Gina Carano
Angelina Jolie
But then again, can all these women put their egos aside.