Lionsgate top brass announced on Tuesday (8) that the latest episode in the action series will premiere in the UK on August 4.

Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Dolph Lundgren return to the fray with cast regulars Jet Li, Randy Couture and Terry Crews.

The action includes Wesley Snipes, Antonio Banderas, Mel Gibson, Harrison Ford, Kellan Lutz, Kelsey Grammer, MMA star Ronda Rousey, welterweight boxing champion Victor Ortiz and Glen Powell.

The Expendables 3 will open in the UK through Lionsgate UK on August 14. It arrives in the US on August 15 and opens across most of the world on the same weekend.

Patrick Hughes of Red Hill fame directs the story of the mercenary do-gooders who encounter the group’s co-founder and arms dealer Conrad Stonebanks – played by Gibson – who returns from the dead with a score to settle.

Creighton Rothenberger co-wrote the screenplay with Katrin Benedikt and Stallone. Producers are Avi Lerner, Kevin King-Templeton, Danny Lerner and Les Weldon.

Trevor Short, Boaz Davidson and John Thompson serve as executive producers while Lionsgate’s Jason Constantine and Eda Kowan oversaw production.

The first two instalments of The Expendables have grossed nearly $600m worldwide.