{"id":161800,"date":"2025-11-30T22:54:10","date_gmt":"2025-11-30T22:54:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/161800\/"},"modified":"2025-11-30T22:54:10","modified_gmt":"2025-11-30T22:54:10","slug":"jalmari-helander-on-sisu-2-and-his-rambo-prequel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/161800\/","title":{"rendered":"Jalmari Helander on Sisu 2 and his Rambo prequel"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the best action movies currently in theaters is\u00a0Sisu: Road to Revenge<\/a>. While the film has only made a modest mark at the box office, critics have rallied behind it, with many comparing its relentless momentum to\u00a0Mad Max: Fury Road. The strong reception is already paying off for director Jalmari Helander, who is deep into pre-production on his upcoming\u00a0Rambo\u00a0prequel<\/a>. We spoke with Helander while he was in Thailand prepping the film.<\/p>\n

Stephen Lang Joins as the Villain \u2014 and Wanted a Different Role<\/p>\n

We also recently talked to Stephen Lang, who plays the Russian villain Dragonov \u2014 the man revealed to be responsible for murdering Aatami\u2019s (Jorma Tommila) family. Helander laughed when recalling Lang\u2019s reaction to joining the film:<\/p>\n

\u201cActually, when I talked for him for the first time, he said that when he first saw\u00a0Sisu, he thought that someone has stolen his role,\u201d he laughed.<\/p>\n

Originally, Helander imagined a younger antagonist. But that changed instantly:<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the idea of Stephen Lang came, I immediately knew that it\u2019s really, really a good idea, because I think it\u2019s cool to see two old dudes having a fight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Why\u00a0Sisu 2\u00a0Is a Lean, Mean 85-Minute Machine<\/p>\n

Helander also discussed his choice to keep\u00a0Sisu 2\u00a0at a tight 85 minutes \u2014 something critics have praised for its efficiency and intensity:<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have a certain amount of money, if you use it and make the shortest thing that you can do, which still is a feature film. It basically means you have more money to spend on every minute. Like, rather than doing a three hour film. You would need so much more money to do it.<\/p>\n

I think 90 minutes is a perfect length for a movie, and my stories are pretty straightforward. It\u2019s not too complicated because I prefer simple things, and most of the time, the simpler the idea for an action film, the better. So I don\u2019t know. That\u2019s how I think about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Helander on\u00a0Rambo: Expect His Own Take<\/p>\n

While he remained tight-lipped about the\u00a0Rambo\u00a0prequel, Helander hinted at how his perspective will shape it:<\/p>\n

\u201cWell I haven\u2019t shot the film yet, so it\u2019s still a work in progress, but I\u2019m sure that Christopher Nolan would do a different kind of Rambo movie than what I\u2019m making,\u201d he said with a laugh.<\/p>\n

Sisu 2: Road to Revenge\u00a0is now playing in theaters.<\/p>\n

A lean, brutal, tightly crafted action sequel \u2014 and one that\u2019s clearly just the start of a big moment for Helander.<\/p>\n

\"JoBlo<\/p>\n

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