Will Bruce Willis and company return once again for Red 3? Following the success of Taken in 2008, there was a noticeable run of action films centered on older action heroes. The Expendables franchise - which united the likes of Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Wesley Snipes and Jet Li - are the most prominent examples, but there was also The Equalizer movies with Denzel Washington or The Gunman starring Sean Penn. The 2010 action thriller Red, which is an adaptation of a comic series of the same name, featured a cast comprised of Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, Morgan Freeman and John Malkovich.
Red was enjoyable but fluffy fare centering on a group of retired special operatives being targeted for assassination for unknown reasons. The movie was a solid hit upon release, with Red 2 quickly being put together. Catherine Zeta-Jones and Lee Byung-hun joined the cast, but despite a bigger budget, the film received mixed reviews and grossed less than its predecessor. It capped off a trinity of sequels for Willis in 2013 too, which also included A Good Day To Die Hard and G.I. Joe: Retribution, though he appeared to be having the most fun with Red 2.
The first two movies scored a profit, but is Red 3 still a possibility or is the franchise done?
Red 3 Was Announced In 2013
In a sign the studio had confidence in the then-upcoming second entry, Red 3 was confirmed to be in development in May 2013. Writers Jon and Erich Hoeber signed up to pen the third movie with production eyed for some time in 2014 - which didn't happen.
A Red TV Series Was Put Into Development In 2015
Red 3 was likely shelved following the mediocre critical and financial reception of part two, but in 2015 it was confirmed the Hoeber brothers were instead developing a Red TV show at NBC. While no cast were confirmed for the potential series it's doubtful stars like Bruce Willis or Helen Mirren would have returned and it doesn't appear the show went to pilot.
Red 3 Isn't Going To Happen
There's been no sign of Red 3 coming since it was first mentioned in 2013, and given the weak reception to Red 2 it's unlikely a third entry will come together now. If the franchise has a future it will most likely come in the form of a movie or TV reboot with none of the original cast returning. The only sequel Bruce Willis has shown any real interest in recently is prequel/sequel McClane, though it's unknown if that entry is still moving forward.