‘Rambo’ Prequel Gets Thrilling Update from Director as Lionsgate Secures Distribution Rights [Exclusive]

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Sylvester Stallone has retired from playing John Rambo, but the character’s story will continue with a new prequel film. Noah Centineo will star as the younger Rambo in this film, which is being directed by the director of SISU. Though still in the planning stages, filming is expected to begin in Thailand next year, and the film now has a distributor.

Joe Deckelmeier from MovieWeb spoke with director Jalmari Helander while he was promoting SISU: Road to Revenge, the follow-up to his 2022 action film. Deckelmeier asked Helander about his plans for a new film exploring the history of Rambo. When asked if his version of Rambo would be as violently creative as SISU, Helander responded:

I’m still developing my vision for the project, and it will definitely be inspired by Rambo. It’s a work in progress, and I’m not ready to share specifics just yet.

John Rambo first appeared in the 1982 film, initially portrayed as a deeply troubled Vietnam War veteran. While the series later became famous for its intense action and Stallone’s powerful performance, the first movie was a suspenseful and character-driven thriller. Now, with the new installment, the question is how the director will explore Rambo’s origins – and it appears they’ll balance dramatic storytelling with action, just like the original.

This film tells the story of the experiences a soldier had in Vietnam and how those events shaped him into the character we see in First Blood. While it explores a difficult past, it’s primarily an action-packed movie, not a heavy drama about someone falling apart.

The ‘Rambo’ Franchise Has Been Acquired by a New Distributor


Tri-Star Pictures

A new Rambo movie, set earlier in the timeline, has been discussed for years, and now it’s finally happening! Fans who enjoyed the series, especially after what seemed like a definitive ending with Rambo: Last Blood in 2019, will be thrilled to see a fresh take on the story.

As a big fan of the Rambo movies, I just read some exciting news! Lionsgate and Millennium Media have made a deal that basically means Lionsgate is now in charge of everything Rambo. They’re distributing the prequel we’ve been hearing about, and they’ll be heavily involved if they decide to make a Rambo TV series. Actually, a TV show was the original idea for the prequel before they switched gears to a movie, so it sounds like that possibility is still very much alive with this new deal. I’m really hoping we get both a great prequel and a TV series – that would be awesome!

As a big film fan, I was really interested to hear what Stallone had to say about the potential Rambo prequel. He recently told Entertainment Weekly that he thinks it could be amazing, if they get everything right. He even started sharing his own ideas about how to portray Rambo’s backstory, which is pretty cool.

I always pictured Rambo as a real all-star – a star athlete and a straight-A student, the kind of person destined to be valedictorian. But the war completely changed him, leaving him with PTSD and turning him into someone who causes destruction. I was interested in exploring how he went from being eager to fight – thinking it would be quick and exciting – to the person he became.

Like other viewers, Stallone is now able to witness how the story develops in the new film, and hopefully, it will be as good as people are hoping.

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2025-11-04 00:33