Sylvester Stallone recently opened up about plans he once had for an AI-fueled Rambo prequel film. The actor also revealed why he abandoned the project.
Speaking to ScreenRant, Stallone discussed his ideas for expanding John Rambo’s backstory using generative artificial intelligence. “I wanted to do the first AI… not retroactive… but I wanted to rewrite history of the earlier Rambo,” the actor explained before offering his surprising vision for a younger, pre-war version of the character. “I wanted Rambo to be the nicest guy in the school, the valedictorian, the prom king, and all that stuff.”
“And when he goes to Vietnam, he thinks it’s going to be a three-week hit-and-run, and you see him being tortured and captured, his friends murdered, one thing after another, and [his] life in Saigon,” Stallone continued. “And that’s how I became the way I became, but originally I was bon vivant–that kind of thing. And I thought, ‘We could do this with AI,’ but [we] procrastinated too long, and they took it over and, I hope, you know, good luck.”
Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) is holding a knife in Rambo: First Blood.
Image via Orion Pictures
Stallone made his cinematic debut as John Rambo in 1982’s First Blood, which was directed by Ted Kotcheff from a screenplay adapted from David Morrell’s 1972 novel of the same name. The film introduced Rambo as a Vietnam War veteran who lost the rest of his unit to the lasting effects of Agent Orange exposure. Living as a drifter, Rambo arrives in the small, sleepy town of Hope, Washington.
Once there, he is harassed and abused by local officers under the command of Brian Dennehy’s callous Sheriff Will Teasle. The film was met with decidedly polarizing reviews from critics, yet proved to be a massive hit with audiences. Since the release of First Blood, the Rambo franchise has been expanded with four more feature films, an animated series, over a half-dozen video games, and countless pieces of tie-in media and merchandise.
What’s Next for the Rambo Franchise?
In May, it was confirmed that a new Rambo feature film is in the works at Millennium Media, the company behind other hit action franchises including the Has Fallen and Expendables series. Titled John Rambo, the upcoming prequel will be directed by Sisu’s Jalmari Helander, who is a massive fan of the character. “I have been the biggest fan of Rambo since the age of 11,” Helander said.
“It is so surreal to be in a situation where I can actually make my own Rambo movie,” Helander continued. “The chain of events that got me here makes, in a fantastic way, my whole childhood make sense. I can’t wait to bring the greatest action hero back to the big screen where he belongs.” While plot details for John Rambo remain under wraps, fans already know that they can look forward to Noah Centineo stepping into the role of the film’s titular soldier.
Rambo: First Blood is streaming on Netflix. John Rambo is currently set to hit theaters on Jan. 24, 2028.
Director
Ted Kotcheff
Writers
David Morrell, Michael Kozoll, William Sackheim, Sylvester Stallone
