Lionsgate Working on Sylvester Stallone Web Series

Fans of Sylvester Stallone and/or entertainment properties rated “M” for “Manly” just concluded one exciting news week. First, Lionsgate released the full trailer for Expendables 2. The upcoming sequel to Stallone’s shameless, self-indulgent, but still lovable romp ridden with explosives and other action stars is set to debut in theaters August 2012.

[Editor’s Aside: It’s also worth noting the Expendables 2 trailer was exclusively released not in theaters as a preview to another high-octane, armed forces flick, nor as a spot on some television property like Entertainment Tonight, but on IGN’s YouTube Channel. This also isn’t the first young-male-oriented film to release its trailer exclusively on a young-male-oriented channel on YouTube. The Rock premeired the trailer for G.I. Joe: Retaliation on YouTube.com/Machinima in December 2011.]

Second, Paul Bond at the Hollywood Reporter broke the story Stallone may star in an animated original web series. Lionsgate is said to be working on Stallone’s online video vehicle, which is set to be called Soul Survivor. The program would feature Stallone in the familiar role as a “last-of-his-kind mercenary.”

Lionsgate is no stranger to the web series world. The independent television and film distribution company launched the animated redneck sendup Trailer Trash on Hulu in early 2011 and the live-action, gamers-meet-zombie-apocalypse comedy Bite Me, which recently released its second season by way of Machinima’s YouTube channel.

No word yet on any perspective launch for Stallone’s Soul Survivor or when we could hear more. Stay tuned.