In a rather welcome turn of events, Lionsgate has gotten Sylvester Stallone’s blessing for the Noah Centineo-led Rambo prequel. Stallone, having once tried to launch his own Rambo prequel, will now executive produce Lionsgate’s film, which is currently shooting in Thailand under the direction of Sisu’s Jalmari Helander.
This is good news for anyone curious about the project, as Stallone not being involved in a Rambo movie never sat right with many fans. While David Morrell created the character in his book First Blood, Stallone put his own iconic spin on the character, having made five Rambo films, all of which he starred in and had writing credits on. He also directed the fourth installment, Rambo.
Stallone confirmed his involvement on Instagram:
While it’s too early to tell just how involved Stallone will be, the fact that he’s associated with the movie in some way makes many of us more confident in the direction the series is going. Here’s what Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Chair Adam Fogelson had to say (on Deadline) about Sly’s involvement:
“Sylvester Stallone knows the character of John Rambo better than anyone, and Lionsgate has had the good fortune of partnering with Sly for more than 20 years on this legendary IP. His participation is the final, critical piece to John Rambo, and we’re thrilled to have his involvement.”
The prequel, tentatively titled John Rambo, is written by Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani and has a long list of producers, including Anthony and Joe Russo, Dallas Sonnier (Bone Tomahawk), and many more. The shoot is already underway, with Centineo supported by Sinners breakout Yao, Yellowstone’s Jefferson White (Jimmy!), Jason Tobin (A Thousand Blows), Quincy Isaiah (Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty), and Tayme Thapthimthong (The White Lotus).
While I must admit that I’m still wary of a Rambo prequel, I’m glad Stallone will at least have some say in how it pans out. While the Sisu movies are “fun,” I’m not sure their simple good guys vs. bad guys formula applies to a movie about a young John Rambo fighting in the Vietnam War. The film needs to be dark, with it tying into the opening of First Blood, where Stallone’s John Rambo is a PTSD-afflicted vet with a tortured psyche. It should be a dark, violent film rather than a rah-rah action movie, which is what the Sisu movies are. Hopefully Stallone’s involvement means the Rambo character will retain his credibility as one of the darker action movie heroes.
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