(Update: 4:00 p.m. PST: TheWrap has confirmed that Harrison Ford is not replacing Bruce Willis in the cast and will be playing a brand new character.)
Harrison Ford is set to join Sylvester Stallone in the action-packed sequel "The Expendables 3," a representative for Ford has confirmed to TheWrap.
Stallone tweeted on Tuesday that he had successfully recruited Ford for the Lionsgate franchise — though the excitable actor-producer is known to jump the gun when it comes to casting announcements, as representatives for Mel Gibson have yet to confirm his casting in "Expendables 3."
WILLIS OUT… HARRISON FORD IN !!!! GREAT NEWS !!!!! Been waiting years for this!!!!
– Sylvester Stallone (@TheSlyStallone) August 6, 2013
Stallone appeared to take a swipe at Willis, who appeared in the original "Expendables" and its sequel:
GREEDY AND LAZY …… A SURE FORMULA FOR CAREER FAILURE
– Sylvester Stallone (@TheSlyStallone) August 6, 2013
Australian filmmaker Patrick Hughes, who has a successful background in commercials, is directing the action-packed sequel, which Stallone is producing with Millennium Films. "The Expendables" films have grossed more than half a billion dollars, and "The Expendables 3" hits theaters Aug. 15, 2014.
Ford is a certifiable icon of the action genre thanks to the "Indiana Jones" franchise and two turns as Jack Ryan in "Patriot Games" and "Clear and Present Danger." He next stars opposite "Expendables 2" actor Liam Hemsworth in "Paranoia," which Relativity opens Aug. 16. He also co-stars in Summit's "Ender's Game" and Paramount's "Anchorman" sequel. He's repped by UTA.
