John Rambo is heading to the front lines.
The latest feature in the revived Rambo franchise has started production in Bangkok, Thailand. Lionsgate will distribute director Jalmari Helander‘s movie that tells the origins of the titular character. It is set years before the events in First Blood, the 1982 film that starred Sylvester Stallone and adapted author David Morrell’s novel of the same name.
Noah Centineo, who stars in this year’s Street Fighter, plays the lead in the new movie.
Lionsgate announced Thursday that John Rambo’s ensemble cast will include Yao (Sinners), Jason Tobin (A Thousand Blows), Quincy Isaiah (Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty), Jefferson White (Yellowstone) and Tayme Thapthimthong (The White Lotus).
Helander (Sisu and its sequel) helms the prequel project from a script by Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani (Black Adam). Hailing from Millennium Media, Templeton Media and AGBO, the film counts Kevin King Templeton, Les Weldon, Jonathan Yunger, Michael Disco and Angela Russo-Otstot as producers. Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, Trevor Short, Dallas Sonnier and Amanda Presmyk are executive producing.
Stallone originated the role of John Rambo in First Blood, playing the Vietnam War veteran as he faced off against a small-town sheriff and the National Guard. The film collected $125 million globally ($417 million today) and spawned a slew of sequels, the most recent of which was 2019’s Rambo: Last Blood.
“When I was 11, I saw First Blood for the first time, and it changed my life,” Helander said in a statement. “Rambo wasn’t just a film to me — it stayed with me growing up and was a defining influence on why I wanted to become a filmmaker. As we begin production on the origin of John Rambo, we’re going back to the beginning. This is Rambo stripped down, raw and real — a survival story about endurance, persistence and lost innocence. It’s an honor to shape this next chapter with deep respect for the character and the legacy, and to bring audiences the start of John Rambo’s journey.”
Added Lionsgate Motion Picture Group president Erin Westerman, “We’re thrilled to start production on John Rambo, which will allow both new audiences and existing fans to explore John Rambo’s roots, his principles, and most importantly, some incredible action, courtesy of Jalmari’s singular vision. And we’re so excited for Noah’s committed and powerful performance to show what forged this character into legend.”
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Helander explained that he hoped to make Stallone proud with John Rambo. “It’s a big deal for me to actually do a Rambo film, and there’s a lot of responsibility,” the filmmaker said. “So I’m just trying to do the best I can with it, and I hope that’s enough.”