A Rambo prequel is brewing from Millennium Media (The Expendables), who has enlisted the services of Jalmari Helander (Big Game), a director best known for his celebrated 2022 Finnish action film, Sisu.
Titled John Rambo, the film – scribed from Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani (Black Adam) – will serve as the origin story of America’s favorite one-man army, set during the Vietnam War (via World of Reel).
The same source adds that Stallone is not currently involved, but the producers are apparently leaving the door open.
The iconic franchise started with 1982’s First Blood and peaked into a worldwide phenomenon with 1985’s Rambo: First Blood Part II. Then came 1988’s Rambo III, 2008’s Rambo (aka Rambo 4) and finally, 2019’s Rambo: Last Blood (aka Rambo 5).
Prior to 2008’s Rambo movie, some of the ideas studios were dancing around was putting Rambo against experimental Universal Soldier-like enemies; then there was the concept that had Rambo out to rescue a kidnapped girl from sex traffickers, an idea that ultimately branched out to not only Rambo: Last Blood, but also the recent Jason Statham actioner, A Working Man (which Stallone co-wrote).
Another studio brainstorm saw Rambo and his estranged brother battle against villains during a storm, while a post-9/11 idea saw Rambo fight terrorists inside the United Nations building. And let’s not forget the a concept that had Rambo up against a villain played by Jackie Chan (via Screen Rant).
In 2013, producer Avi Lerner conspired to turn Rambo into a TV series with Stallone reprising his role as John Rambo for television. Then in 2015, there was word that Fox locked in a deal for Rambo: New Blood, which would explore the complex relationship between Rambo (not played by Stallone) and his son, J.R., an ex-Navy SEAL.
Who knows, maybe some of these ideas can be repurposed for a Godfather Part II-type deal? (where the next film can be a prequel and sequel at the same time).
Shooting for the upcoming John Rambo is said to begin in Thailand this October. For now, we leave you with all the Trailers to this legendary action franchise. Which one is your favorite?
I’ve watched the first four.
They can keep the fifth one and shove this prequel where the sun don’t shine.
The main problem with the 5th one is it didn’t feel like a Rambo film. Other than that, I thought it was a decent action flick (enjoyed it more than all the John Wick films combined).
The fifth movie should have been called something else and have nothing to do with the Rambo franchise. The finale of it was admittedly well done, but the movie as a whole felt unnecessarily cruel for the sake of being cruel and with a completely sour note.
Yeah, it basically showed even Stallone can be really dour in his storytelling. I, feel he is limited with that outside him writing for Rocky or the realm of Boxing. If, he had a co-writer or someone to really add more hope or heart despite the conflicts it could of been better. Plus, Rambo works better in the jungles too.
I do like the idea of an urban Rambo. Just like The Predator was able to go from the jungle to the city, I wish Rambo went in a similar direction.
Everyone has their own tastes but John Wick are some of the best action films since The Raid. If, you are into martial art type flicks especially when they a world or building blocks that has it’s own grittiness to it as well. Both are basically one man army flicks though course there’s more fight styles and the like in other franchises.
It’s important to have variety out there. I love movies where people in suits are doing all kinds of fancy brutal grappling and close quarters gunplay, but we also need straight up brawling with people in denim, the kung fu and gun fu of the bygone era, and the old fashioned (not outdated) action that made us fans in the first place.
There’s room for all of it, and there can still be something for everyone.
Millennium is tightly associated with Sly, Sisu was a great movie so the director on it is awesome as for the Actor who plays John and the vibe we will see though his character works better for a prequel than Sly wanting a Rocky prequel. Rambo we least can see him before he ended up in that town. Strong but not given up yet.