Earlier this month, Sylvester Stallone dropped some hints on Twitter about Mel Gibson potentially directing the next installment of The Expendables series. Although it’s still unclear if that was ever actually a possibility, we now know that Gibson did not end up taking the job (Stallone tweeted that he “tried hard” but “Mel’s living his own life”). Now this week Stallone announced that he has another filmmaker in mind for The Expendables 3 who also happens to be Australian. That filmmaker is Patrick Hughes, who previously wrote and directed the gritty 2010 western Red Hill starring Ryan Kwanten. As Stallone puts it, “EX3 Needs freshness, class, and much badass…. Found it…Blood Sweat and Fears, coming soon.”

According to THR, Patrick Hughes is Stallone’s choice to direct The Expendables 3, although he hasn’t officially been given an offer yet. He will be flying in to meet the heads of Millennium Films shortly, who will ultimately make the decision. They are hoping to start shooting the film in late July or early August.

In related news, Stallone supposedly announced last week that Wesley Snipes was confirmed for The Expendables 3. Strangely, his tweet mysteriously vanished soon afterward, leaving many to wonder if he had spoken out of turn or if they just wanted to keep it under wraps. Either way, it sounds promising and Jackie Chan is also said to be on board. What do you think, is there any way that The Expendables 3 will top or at least rival parts 1 and 2? Check out a short film by Patrick Hughes called “Signs” embedded below.