Sylvester Stallone will not be directing the sequel to The Expendables, Deadline reports:
Stallone, who directed and starred in the crowd-pleasing original that grossed around $275 million for Millennium and Lionsgate, is heavily involved in putting together a list of directors to helm the second installment.
Deadline also notes that Stallone is lobbying for Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis to return for the sequel — after playing cameos in the original — and the film’s main cast of action heroes will likely expand beyond its current slate, which included Jason Statham, Jet Li, Mickey Rourke, Dolph Lundgren and Terry Crews, but no casting decisions have been made.
The Expendables 2 is scheduled to hit theaters on August 17, 2012.