The Expendables is an American group action thriller franchise that includes extra media and a film series penned by Sylvester Stallone and based on characters developed by David Callaham. Among the ensemble cast of the movies are Jason Statham, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Sylvester Stallone. The film series itself was designed as a tribute to the popular action movies from the 1980s and 1990s, as well as to the stars of those eras who starred in action films. The Expendables (2010), The Expendables 2 (2012), and The Expendables 3 (2014) are the three movies in the series; a fourth is slated for release at some point in the future. Regarding the plots and character dialogue, the series has drawn mixed reviews from critics. However, many have praised the use of humor and action scenes. The movies have performed well at the box office.