Sylvester Stallone Explains Why 'The Expendables 3' Will Be Rated PG-13 Instead Of R

When "The Expendables 3" comes out this summer, it will be the first film in the franchise to be rated PG-13.

The previous two films were both rated R for "strong bloody violence" and some language.

While at the Cannes Film Festival, Sylvester Stallone told Deadline the next installment will have a ratings change to appeal to a broader, younger audience that may not have grown up with some of the '80s action stars in the film.

"We want to reach as many people as possible," said Stallone. "It's very close to an R, believe me, it's right there. But I think we owe it to the next generation. We thought we'd join that club for a while."

Another reason the film may be changing to that PG-13 rating is because the last film may not have been as big of a hit as Lionsgate thought it would be.

"The Expendables 2" cost an estimated $20 million more than the original to make, and while it made slightly more money than the original - $305 million worldwide vs. $274 million - the sequel made less money domestically ($85 million vs. $103 million).

The drop in ratings is smart. While "The Expendables" films do well at theaters, both Stallone and Schwarzenegger's recent standalone movies don't perform as well on their own.

Here are the box-office results for each stars past three films since the launch of "The Expendables" franchise in 2010. Only the film both starred in together late 2013, "Escape Plan," performed well - and that was because of a big bump from overseas.

Lowering the rating to PG-13 could help the older stars gain traction with a younger generation.