Rambo is officially returning — but not in the way longtime fans might have expected. Lionsgate has acquired global rights to develop and distribute new Rambo films, TV projects, and derivative works in a massive new deal with Millennium Media. That deal includes worldwide distribution rights to the upcoming prequel, John Rambo, the sixth film in the franchise that made Sylvester Stallone a global action icon.
The project will serve as an origin story for the legendary character, with Noah Centineo (The Recruit, Street Fighter) in final negotiations to play a young John Rambo. Jalmari Helander, the Finnish filmmaker behind Sisu and its upcoming sequel Sisu: Road to Revenge, will direct from a screenplay by Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani (The Mauritanian, Black Adam).
“This deal expands Lionsgate’s portfolio of genre-defining action franchises,” said Brian Goldsmith, COO of Lionsgate. “We’re excited to reimagine both The Expendables and Rambo across film and television — and with John Rambo, we’re bringing together a bold creative team to reinvent a classic character for a new generation of fans.”
Jonathan Yunger, President of Millennium Media, added, “We’ve always believed in the enduring power of these franchises. Lionsgate’s strong track record with major action properties makes it the ideal partner to help shape the next chapters.”
What Is ‘John Rambo’ About?
If the title wasn’t enough of a clue, John Rambo will explore the soldier’s early years before the events of First Blood. Helander told Collider’s Perri Nemiroff at Fantastic Fest that his approach was deeply inspired by the original 1982 film — the one that started it all.
“I could talk a whole day about this. First Blood basically changed my life when I was 10 years old. I was playing Rambo every f***ing day, being in a forest with my Rambo knife. Now, watching the movies with my 11-year-old son, I saw what he loved — the same things I did. But when we got to Rambo 4, he said, ‘I don’t want to watch this anymore.’ It was too dark. Too brutal. The magic was gone.”
Helander’s mission is to bring that magic back: “I’m trying to make a Rambo movie that will put a new generation of 10-year-olds in the forest playing Rambo. That’s my goal.”
Centineo may seem like an unconventional pick for the role made famous by Stallone, but Helander is confident the young actor has the presence to pull it off. “They have charisma,” he said, comparing Centineo to his Sisu leading man Jorma Tommila. “When I’m watching Noah just sitting somewhere, not doing anything important, I can feel that there is something in him. He’s easy to watch in a way that most people are not.”
John Rambo begins filming in 2026, with a late 2027 release expected.
via Collider