Whitaker and Rourke are ‘Expendables’

Published by Jeff Leins on: January 7th, 2009

Forest Whitaker and Mickey Rourke are in negotiations to join the awesome ensemble for The Expendables, the latest from writer/director/actor Sylvester Stallone.

Already a part of the cast are Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, ultimate fighting legend Randy Couture, and Dolph Lundgren.  Possibly joining soon after is Sir Ben Kingsley.  I know this might be a bit premature, but I’m just going to go ahead and say this is the best movie ever.  At the very least it’s one of the best cast line-ups for an action movie.

The story is about a team of “expendable” mercenaries on an impossible mission to overthrow a South American dictator.  Whitaker will play a CIA agent who oversees the mission.  According to Variety, Rourke will play “an unscrupulous arms dealer who becomes the go-to guy” for the team.

Rourke has said in interviews he credits Stallone for helping him get back in the business at a low point in his life.  Sly cast him in Get Carter in 2000.  Hopefully by the time this new movie gets made they’ll be able to promote him as “Oscar winner Mickey Rourke.”

The Expendables is due out sometime in 2010.  Principal photography starts in March.