There wasn’t a single movie that could bring Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Bruce Willis together in the ‘90s – but they were united by a very different kind of project. In the ‘90s, Stallone, Schwarzenegger, and Willis were the trio of A-listers who dominated the action genre. Stallone had the Rocky and Rambo franchises, Schwarzenegger had the Terminator franchise, and Willis had the Die Hard franchise. They could each anchor their own starring vehicles with ease, and their name on a marquee could practically guarantee a box office hit.
Since Stallone and Schwarzenegger had a highly publicized rivalry and Willis was doing his own thing, there wasn’t a movie that could bring these three actors together. They were each big enough stars to fill the spotlight on their own, so they never teamed up on-screen. But there was one ‘90s project that was able to bring these three icons together for a collaboration. It wasn’t a movie, or even a TV show or a play, but it did get these three actors to finally work together.
Stallone, Schwarzenegger, And Willis Teamed-Up For Planet Hollywood
The three A-listers came together to create the iconic restaurant chain
In 1991, Stallone, Schwarzenegger, and Willis all teamed up to launch a themed restaurant chain based on the glitz and glamor of Hollywood. Dubbed “Planet Hollywood,” the restaurants were dressed up to match the public’s perception of Tinseltown, and each location was filled with memorabilia from the movies. The chain was founded by Keith Barish and Robert Earl in the hope of creating a film-themed alternative to the music-themed Hard Rock Café.
There were a lot of actors involved in launching Planet Hollywood. Demi Moore, Whoopi Goldberg, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Wesley Snipes, and Danny Glover were among those paid for their endorsements through an employee stock ownership plan. Director John Hughes and Beatles drummer Ringo Starr got in on the action, too. But Stallone, Schwarzenegger, and Willis were the faces of the organization and the ones who lent the chain real showbiz clout in its early days.
It Took Another Two Decades For Stallone, Schwarzenegger & Willis To Star In A Movie Together
The Expendables was the one to actually bring all three of them together
Although Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Bruce Willis would all team up to launch Planet Hollywood in the early ‘90s, it would take another two decades to get them all on-screen together. It wasn’t until 2010’s The Expendables that they all shared the screen. Stallone plays the leader of the film’s titular mercenary squad, and in one of the most memorable scenes, he meets with a pair of old colleagues, played by Schwarzenegger and Willis. It took some time to get there, but these three ended up making a great on-screen team.