The Escape Plan franchise has developed an interesting place in the action movie landscape, with three installments being released since 2013. After the first film, which starred Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, grossed $137 million worldwide, two sequels were brought to life, most recently with 2019’s Escape Plan: The Extractors. The prison-set films have courted some interesting cast members alongside Stallone, including Dave Bautista as Trent DeRosa. According to Bautista, his decision to take on the project was because of very specific motivations. During a recent appearance on the Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum podcast, the Guardians of the Galaxy and Dune star revealed that he signed on to the Escape Plan films for the opportunity to work alongside Stallone.
“I took this job – I wasn’t crazy about the job – but I took it because I wanted to work with Stallone,” Bautista explained. “Our first scene together, I got in and sat with Stallone, and I said ‘Look man, I’m not going to be a fanboy today. But tomorrow, I’m probably going to ask you a hundred questions.’ And before we finish that scene, I had already contradicted myself, and I just wanted to ask question after question.”
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The fruits of Bautista and Stallone’s labor, Escape Plan 2: Hades, was poorly-received and ultimately grossed $16 million, with Stallone even confirming that he thought the film was “beyond awful”. Still, this bit of behind-the-scenes trivia does add an endearing layer to the film itself.
It will be interesting to see if Bautista and Stallone potentially get to share the screen together in the future, as some have speculated that Stallone and the other members of the Guardians 3000 will get to return in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
“I think his plan is for us to come back so I just don’t know how,” Rosenbaum, who played Martinex in Vol. 2, recently explained to ComicBook.com. “I think that was the plan all along…you’re going to see these guys in the end credits. Why bring Stallone on alone just to be in such a small part? You kind of want to see what he does, I mean I don’t know how you wouldn’t.”
You can check out the synopsis for the third Escape Plan film, The Extractors, below!
“After security expert Ray Breslin (Stallone) is hired to rescue the kidnapped daughter of a Hong Kong tech mogul from a formidable Latvian prison, Breslin’s girlfriend (Jaime King) is also captured. Now he and his team, which includes Dave Bautista and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, must pull off a deadly rescue mission to confront their sadistic foe and save the hostages before time runs out.”
