Why Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone Should Collaborate Again for Another Film

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone rose to prominence in the 70s. After struggling for years, Schwarzenegger earned a Golden Globe after starring in Stay Hungry (1976). At the same time, Stallone’s Rocky (1976) earned him critical and commercial fame. However, the Austrian Oak and the Rocky actor despised one another from the start. The pair shared the same table at the 1976 Golden Globe, and each walked away with an award. However, Stallone told Variety that Schwarzenegger mocked him every time he lost in a nominated category.

The two nearly fought one another at the award ceremony when Stallone threw a bowl after he finally won an award. They would take their battle to the box office. Schwarzenegger got his breakout role in the 1982 Conan the Barbarian. The unexpected hit marked Arnie’s meteoric rise. Within the next few years, Schwarzenegger starred in career-defining films like The Terminator (1984) and Predator (1987). Stallone fought back with a career-defining role of his own in Rambo: First Blood (1984). Back then, no one in their wildest dreams, including the actors, would’ve imagined collaborating. So, what makes Escape Plan (2013) special? Why do these stars need to collaborate again? Let’s first take a look at their history.

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone: A clash of titans

By the mid-80s, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone were part of massive franchises. While the bodybuilding icon became the T-800 in The Terminator and Dutch in Predator, Stallone had already starred in three Rocky films and started working on more Rambo films. Besides their hit multi-film franchises, Sly and Arnie churned out standalone action classics. During this era, the seven-time Mr. Olympia and his rival aimed to outperform one another in every aspect. Since Schwarzenegger had an Olympia-winning physique, Sylvester Stallone also built a muscular and ripped physique.

Since Stallone had killed scores of bad guys in the first and second Rambo films as a special forces soldier, Schwarzenegger mirrored it in Commando (1985). The Austrian Oak played a retired special forces soldier who killed scores of bad guys to free his daughter. The pair even compared who killed more bad guys on screen during a chance meeting in the 80s. The titans of cinema literally changed the landscape of 80s action films in the wake of their epic rivalry. However, as the action heroes crossed their primes, their brand of over-the-top action started losing steam. By the late 90s, the influence and impact of their rivalry waned. After the bodybuilding icon became the Governor of California, it seemed their chapters had come to a close. However, fans were in for a major surprise, as everything changed in 2013.

Channeling their historic rivalry for worldwide success

After serving two terms as The Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger stepped away from politics. Looking to make a return to the silver screen, Schwarzenegger starred in The Last Stand. While the film didn’t perform exceptionally, it didn’t flop. Then came the surprise. After feuding for over a decade, Arnie and Sly announced they would share the screen in Escape Plan. The 2013 film followed the story of Stallone’s character, Ray Breslin. Breslin meets Emil Rottmayer, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, in a prison. In his quest to break out of the supermax prison facility, Stallone’s character hesitantly befriends Schwarzenegger’s character. 

Produced on an estimated $50 million, Escape Plan didn’t fare well at the domestic box office. However, the film made waves in the international market. Escape Plan allowed Sly and Arnie to channel their iconic rivalry, as their characters were initially at odds in the film. The two veterans sizing up one another before allying to break out of the maximum security prison was an uncanny metaphor for their reel and real-life rivalry. While Arnie and Sly feuded in the 80s, their collaboration in 2013 earned over $137 million worldwide. Escape Plan was a massive hit, and what followed proves why the duo need to collaborate yet again.

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Arnie’s absence and its effect on sequels 

Escape Plan came after Schwarzenegger’s short cameo in Expendables 2 (2012). After its success, Schwarzenegger played a larger role in Expendables 3 (2014). However, the 76-year-old action icon wasn’t part of the recently released fourth film of the franchise. Expendables 4 also turned out to be a critical and commercial failure. The Escape Plan sequels suffered a similar fate. While Arnie and Sly teaming up translated to success in the global box office, the sequels fared far worse. Escape Plan 2 earned a meager $17 million, falling short of even earning the $20 million that was spent on its production.

The third installment in the series also saw failure. The $3.8 million production earned a dismal $1.8 million at the box office. One thing the films had in common was the lack of Arnold Schwarzenegger. It seems that Sylvester Stallone’s films lost steam when Arnie didn’t appear in the sequels. Recently, Stallone also starred in Arnie’s Netflix documentary. Now, a lot of hype is being generated for Arnie’s appearance in the 77-year-old’s upcoming Netflix documentary.

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While the 80s icons defined an era of action cinema, in recent years, Sly and Arnie have only captured that magic when they’ve collaborated. After the success of films like Escape Plan and Expendables, coupled with the subsequent failure of their sequels, it seems the two might have to join forces once again to taste box office glory.