Avi Lerner Is Pissed With Stallone

A while back Avi Lerner said Sylvester Stallone would not appear in The Expendables 4.  I wasn’t sure if I bought that, considering Stallone (casually) told some fans he’d ‘absolutely’ be ready to do it and a sales poster with his likeness and name appeared at Cannes.

Now, Lerner again says there’ll be a fourth, but not with Stallone.  Not with Sylvester. There will be more Expendables, but not with him. Sly wanted to produce the movie, and I don’t think he can produce the movie. He’s a good actor. He’s a good writer. But he’s not a good producer. And I didn’t want to give him $100 million to produce.

When also asked if both are still friends, Lerner responded: Obviously less. But I respect him. I think he’s one of the icons of the world. You know, without being too mean, I took him when he was down, when nobody wanted to hire him, and I gave him Rambo and The Expendables. I think I gave him a new life.

Lerner also mentioned that Stallone wanted $20 million and that The Expendabelles is still happening.  But you have to wonder, who is at fault here?  Maybe it’s Lerner, maybe we have to hear Stallone’s side of the story.  Is Stallone’s demands for producing reflective of Lerner’s negative intentions for corner cutting?

Was that a deal breaker for Stallone?