Sumith Prasad
It is not an exaggeration to say that nobody shook the Hollywood box office as consistently as Sylvester Stallone. Although he is not the highest-grossing performer of all time, he is the only actor in the history of Hollywood to star in a box office #1 film across six consecutive decades. He redefined the conventions of sports films with his iconic and influential film ‘Rocky’ and the character Rocky Balboa. When the ‘Rocky’ films conquered everything it could, Stallone launched the ‘Rambo’ film series, in which he plays the PTSD-plagued soldier John Rambo. Through films such as ‘Cobra,’ ‘Tango & Cash,’ ‘Cliffhanger,’ ‘Demolition Man,’ and ‘The Specialist,’ the actor became one of the faces of the action genre, along with his fellow actor and rival Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Even when Stallone passed his prime, his age didn’t stop him from delivering incredible performances. In 2010, in his mid-60s, the actor launched ‘The Expendables’ film series with a group of actors who have been ruling the action genre. The actor then handed over the baton to Michael B. Jordan by taking the backseat in ‘Creed,’ the first spin-off film of the ‘Rocky’ movie series, only to earn an Academy Award nomination for his performance in the film. Stallone continues to impress the audience by offering commendable performances, making one wonder what to expect from the actor next. Well, let’s find out!
1. Can’t Go Home (2024)
Stallone will be directing the first episode of an upcoming crime thriller series titled ‘Can’t Go Home.’ The episode, titled ‘Dirty Water,’ will air on December 29, 2024. Developed by Chris Byers, Amy Mariano, and Tom Mariano, the plot follows fugitive recovery agents Tom Desjadon (Tom Mariano) and his partner, KD Williams (Jennifer Garner), who get badly involved with Boston’s gangsters and are forced to opt for a life of terror and duplicity to avoid paying the price. The rest of the cast includes Esai Morales, Michele Dawson, Paul Guilfoyle, and Rafael Sigler. The series is in the pre-production stage, and a network or streaming service has yet to be finalized for release. More details regarding the project are awaited.
2. Armored (2024)
‘Armored’ is a crime action thriller directed by Justin Routt based on a screenplay by Cory Todd Hughes and Adrian Speckert. It centers on a father-son duo who work as security guards for an armored truck company. While transporting millions of dollars from one bank to another, they get pinned by a group of robbers on a decrepit bridge and have to survive and find a way out as soon as possible, as well as protect the money. How they pull off this dangerous feat is what the movie entails. Besides Stallone, the cast includes Josh Wiggins, Jason Patric, and Dash Mihok. The movie has completed production and will be released in Russia on November 21, 2024. A US release date is yet to be confirmed.
3. Alarum (2025)
A crime action thriller directed by Michael Polish, ‘Alarum’ follows two rogue agents, Joe and Lara Travers, who go off the radar after marrying each other. But trouble follows soon after their remote cabin is attacked by multiple intelligence agencies who seem to be looking for a hard drive that they have. The film, currently undergoing post-production, stars Stallone, Willa Fitzgerald, Scott Eastwood, La Monde Byrd, Derek Polen, and Bret Aaron Knower. It will be released in Mexico on January 9, 2025. Its US release date is yet to be revealed although we can expect it to arrive in 2025 itself.
4. The Epiphany (2025)
‘The Epiphany’ is a crime thriller that will begin filming in Philadelphia this summer. Helmed by William Eubank and based on a script by Katie Lovejoy and Ru Sommer, the AGC Studios production follows a hard-nosed Philadelphia detective (Stallone) who has to team up with a young cop and former priest to track down a serial killer. This makes him confront his strained past with the Catholic Church, as the killer’s victims are members of the church connected to a local scandal. Stallone is also serving as a producer. More members of the cast and a release date are yet to be revealed. The film will be released in Mexico on November 20, 2025, which means a US release will follow the same year.
5. Cliffhanger 2 (TBA)
A “legacy sequel” to Stallone’s 1993 action film ‘Cliffhanger’ is currently in development. The original film revolves around Ranger Gabriel “Gabe” Walker, a mountain climber who sets out to help the survivors of a plane crash. Jean-François Richet helms the sequel based on a script by Mark Bianculli. The sequel is set in the Swiss Alps, years after the events of the original film, and follows Gabe, who has a daughter and a “pseudo son,” with whom he runs a mountaineering company named Italian Alps. The film will go into production in the fall of 2024, and a release date is awaited.
6. The Original Action Hero (TBA)
‘The Original Action Hero’ is an upcoming documentary directed by Mimi Freedman and written by Tom Brown. The film will track the evolution of the action hero in movies and how aspects and perspectives have changed about them. Along with Stallone, it will also star Arnold Schwarzenegger, Luke Evans, and Charley Palmer Rothwell among others. The project is currently in its pre-production phase and TBS will be distributing it. Further information about ‘The Original Action Hero’ is awaited.
7. Never Too Old to Die (TBA)
‘Never Too Old To Die’ is an action comedy film that revolves around a mysterious murder within a retirement home for spies. A Cold War hero who lives in the establishment assumes the responsibility of finding the assassin who also lives in the same place. Brian Otting, who is known for the short film ‘Prom Car ’91,’ penned the film and is set to direct the same. The movie is produced by Stallone and Aftergood for the former’s production company, Balboa Productions. Balboa is collaborating with Amazon Studios for the production of the film as part of the former’s multi-year first-look deal with the latter. As of April, ‘Never Too Old to Die’ is in pre-production, and a release date has yet to be attached.
8. Samaritan 2 (TBA)
Amazon MGM Studios has greenlit the sequel to Amazon’s superhero movie ‘Samaritan’ (2022) starring Sylvester Stallone. Bragi F. Schut is back to pen the script for the second one. He, along with Marc Olivent and Renzo Podesta, created the character as a part of their Mythos Comics graphic novels that were first published in 2014. Stallone will be serving as a producer, too, just like he did in the first one.
‘Samaritan’ tells the story of a kid who comes across aged sanitation worker Joe and believes that Joe is the superhero Samaritan who disappeared more than 20 years ago after an epic fight with his twin brother, Nemesis. As per Amazon, the movie was the number one movie on the streaming platform for three consecutive weeks. While Julius Avery directed the first one, it remains to be seen whether he will return to direct the sequel. No other cast member has been revealed, but the movie has reached its pre-production stage. So, one thing is for sure: the Samaritan will return soon.
9. Untitled Sylvester Stallone & Bear Grylls Adventure Series (TBA)
Sylvester Stallone and Bear Grylls are teaming up for an Endemol Shine North America-backed yet untitled epic genre-bending adventure series. Both stars are executive producing. Nothing else is known about this project, especially what it will incorporate.
10. Hunter (TBA)
Balboa Productions started developing ‘Hunter’ in 2018 after Stallone acquired the rights to the eponymous novel by James Byron Huggins in 2009. The actor initially planned to incorporate the narrative of the novel into a ‘Rambo’ storyline but eventually decided to develop it as a standalone film. The novel revolves around Nathaniel Hunter, a man with hyper-tracking skills who gets employed to hunt down a half-human beast created by a renegade agency that poses a threat to human civilization. Stallone will star as Nathaniel Hunter. The pre-production phase has been reached but a director is yet to be roped in.
11. Scavenger Hunt (TBA)
A collaboration between Amazon Studios and Stallone’s Balboa Productions, ‘Scavenger Hunt’ is a horror film that revolves around a group of high school seniors who decide to revive the ancient and strictly verboten ritual of the scavenger hunt, only for them to confront a night of “bad things” as foolhardy teens. Stallone’s character is currently under wraps and the project is in its pre-production phase as of June 2023. Elle Callahan, who directed the horror films ‘Witch Hunt’ and ‘Head Count,’ is at the helm of the movie. Stallone’s second daughter, Sistine Rose Stallone, co-wrote the film with Callahan. The actor and producing partner Braden Aftergood serve as the producers of the same. Further details about production and release date are awaited.
12. Little America (TBA)
‘Strange But True’ fame Rowan Athale’s dystopian film ‘Little America’ follows a former army ranger (Stallone) who is hired by an Asian billionaire to find his daughter in Little America, a walled-off ghetto within Hong Kong where expat Americans have fled after the United States became a bankrupt wasteland. Stallone’s Balboa Productions and AGC Studios (‘The Perfect Find’ and ‘The Tinder Swindler’) are producing the film. ‘Transformers’ director Michael Bay serves as an executive producer for his company Platinum Dunes (‘A Quiet Place’). As of 2020, the project is in its pre-production stage, and more updates about production and release are awaited.
13. The International (TBA)
Stallone will reportedly be directing a CBS TV series that will feature Dolph Lundgren as negotiator/spy Anders Soto who works at the Department of Safety and Security at the U.N. We will follow Soto as he attempts to provide solutions to complex and delicate problems that the world at large faces. Ken Sanzel, also the showrunner/executive producer, will be writing the script. Stallone will executive produce with Lundgren producing. The rest of the cast remains undisclosed and so is a potential date of release.
Read More: Is Cliffhanger Based on a True Story?
