No more mercenaries than secret agents, the Expendables choose their missions and do not obey any government. Not interested in money or fame, all help desperate cases. Although playing on self-mockery and a good-natured spirit, the saga unfortunately had its share of tragedies during its shootings. Back on that of the second opus, “The Expendables 2: Special Unit”, which turned into a tragedy for two stuntmen.
A casting full of testosterone
Started with The Expendables: Special Unit in 2010, the saga was made up of two other films: The Expendables 2: Special Unit (2012) signed Simon West and Expendables 3 (2014) by Patrick Hughes. Director and co-writer of the first opus, Sylvester Stallone plays Barney Ross, head of the “Expendables” special unit. As a reminder, a fourth part will be produced at the end of 2021 by Scott Waugh. Do not hesitate to read our article about the progress of the project.
Pure happiness for action movie buffs to discover the flower of action cinema of the 80s, 90s and 2000s reunited on the big screen! Among other big guys, fans were able to find Jason Statham, Jet Li, Randy Couture, Mickey Rourke, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mel Gibson, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Chuck Norris, Antonio Banderas, or even Harrison Ford. Between winks and nostalgia, sculpted bodies and good feelings, the series of films is nothing short of joyful. A guilty pleasure to be consumed without moderation!
A tragic accident
The “Expendables” accepted in the first part a secret mission for the CIA : infiltrate Vilena, an island in South America, to overthrow its ruthless dictator, General Garza (David Zayas). During the second opus, Mr. Chapelle (Bruce Willis) hired Barney Ross and his team for a new mission. But when one of them was killed, his teammates swore to avenge him. And to thwart a threat capable of changing the balance of the world … It was during the filming ofExpendables 2 in Bulgaria that liner for martial arts legend Jet Li killed in explosion.
Appointed Kun Liu, the 26-year-old stuntman was in the company ofa second stuntman named Nuo Sun. The two men had to perform a stunt during which they had to detonate a bomb on their inflatable boat. Unfortunately, the bomb exploded too closely. Kun Liu succumbed to his injuries while Nuo Sun had to endure a five-hour operation following the accident.
A heated trial
Kun Liu’s family sued Chad Stahelski, the stunt manager. But also against Millenium Films, the production house. They will only get $ 25,000 in compensation after four-year legal battle. According to Hollywood.com, Jet Li would then have intervened and made them donation of US $ 740,000, which represents one million Hong Kong dollars. The star would have liked the donation to be private and has not made an official statement.
The production has also decided to dedicate the feature film to the memory of Kun Liu. A dedication that can be discovered during the end credits. The lawyer for the parents of the late stuntman said it was a nice gesture, although it certainly does not absolve their responsibility in his death …
