A group of deadly mercenaries are cleaning up their act, with the upcoming action sequel The Expendables 3 officially given a PG-13 rating by the Motion Picture Association of America. Exhibitor Relations first reported the news through their Twitter feed, which you can check out below.

The news comes as somewhat of a surprise, since 2010's The Expendables and 2012's The Expendables 2 were both given an R rating. Franchise star Sylvester Stallone revealed at the Cannes Film Festival last month that The Expendables 3 will be PG-13, though he claims it's "very close to an R."

"We want to reach as many people as possible. 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."

The decision to go PG-13 will likely result in The Expendables 3 eclipsing its predecessors at the box office, but by how much remains to be seen. The Expendables took in nearly $275 million worldwide from an $80 million production budget, while The Expendables 2 earned $305 million from a $100 million budget. It should be noted that 62% of The Expendables' worldwide haul came from international markets, with 72% of The Expendables 2's tally coming from foreign territories.

Do you think The Expendables 3 should have stuck to its R-rated guns? Chime in with your thoughts below.