All-femal version of The Expendables

As female action movies continue to gain traction with an ever-expanding fan base that prefers sword-wielding heroines over swooning princesses, it was only a matter of time before the Hollywood machine pointed its fascination in the direction of an all-female, star-studded action film. Especially considering that The Expendables 2 just muscled its way to a weekend box office win.

According to an article in Variety, producer Adi Shankar (The Grey) has begun putting together the idea of an all-female team of bad-asses in the vein of The Expendables which features a testosterone-heavy clan of over-the-hill action superstars doing mercenary work around the world. Shankar has even begun talks with several prominent actresses known for their action movie prowess. Though names have yet to be mentioned, logic would dictate the discussion begins with the likes of Angelina Jolie, Milla Jovovich and perhaps Michelle Rodriguez. Shankar will reportedly put up the money to produce the film from his 1984 Private Defense Contractors banner with Dutch Southern writing the script.

Considering the numbers, it might be a bit difficult to follow directly in the footsteps of The Expendables franchise by featuring a cast of washed-up action star icons from the '80s and '90s, the idea of creating a nice mix of young and old may prove a better box office return knowing the 50-year-old male movie-goer isn't exactly Hollywood's preferred demographic. Regardless, a good script and plenty of ball-busting action could prove to be the beginnings of a new franchise that could eventually culminate in the teaming of the cast of both franchises, a la The Avengers.