New Rambo film: Euphoric statement and first poster
New actors for the prequel have now been announced
Rambo returns to the big screen. This time, however, not with Sylvester Stallone in the lead role. Instead, Noah Centineo will embody the action hero of the same name in his younger years in the new prequel "John Rambo". Now there is information on the rest of the cast and a first poster.
In addition to Centineo, a number of other actors have been announced. As The Hollywood Reporter reports, Yao, Jason Tobin, Quincy Isaiah, Jefferson White and Tayme Thapthimthong are joining the ensemble. The director is Jalmari Helander, who is best known for his two "Sisu" action films, which, like the "Rambo" series, focus on a lone fighter. Alongside the announcement of the new actors, a first "John Rambo" poster appeared on social media. It doesn't show much more than a fist. The anticipation of Rambo fans should nevertheless be heightened by the image.
Especially as filmmaker Helander expresses his enthusiasm for the prequel in the accompanying post. "When I was eleven, I saw First Blood for the first time, and it changed my life," he writes, continuing his statement with euphoric words:
Rambo wasn't just a film to me – it stayed with me growing up and was a defining influence on why I wanted to become a filmmaker. As we begin production on the origin of John Rambo, we're going back to the beginning. This is Rambo stripped down, raw and real – a survival story about endurance, persistence, and lost innocence. It's an honor to shape this next chapter with deep respect for the character and the legacy, and to bring audiences the start of John Rambo's journey.
Noah Centineo as a younger John Rambo
In addition to Helander, two notable directors are also involved in "John Rambo", albeit as executive producers: Anthony and Joe Russo, who have directed two of the most financially successful films of all time with their "Avengers" blockbusters. Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani are responsible for the script of the prequel. The two were previously involved in the script for the superhero film "Black Adam", in which "John Rambo" lead actor Noah Centineo was seen in a supporting role.
Production has already begun in the Thai capital of Bangkok. However, there are not yet many details about the content. Only this much seems certain: the prequel will show how John Rambo became the man we know from the original 1982 film. Accordingly, the plot is set years earlier. With Noah Centineo, knwon from the Netflix spy adventure series "The Recruit", the film features a younger version of the action hero, who was previously always played by Sylvester Stallone.
Rambo: a controversial action hero
The "Rambo" franchise is not an easy legacy to inherit. The character certainly has many fans and is world-famous. The name "Rambo" has become virtually synonymous with the type of brute action hero par excellence. The first "Rambo" film, directed by Ted Kotcheff in 1982, became a classic. Based on the novel "First Blood" by David Morrell, which had been published ten years earlier, the film tells the story of how Vietnam War veteran John Rambo is harassed and abused by police officers in a backwater town. When he manages to escape, a fight for life and death begins. The thrillingly staged film became a hit, earning 125 million US dollars worldwide, and its success ensured that more films were to follow in the 1980s: "Rambo: First Blood Part II" and "Rambo III". After a long break, lead actor Stallone himself took a seat in the director's chair and shot the sequel, simply titled "Rambo", in 2008, before "Rambo: Last Blood", the last part of the series for the time being, was released in cinemas in 2019.
For many critics, however, the 1982 original remained the only good film in the series. While it was not only exciting, but also credibly realized, Rambo only appeared as a one-dimensional brute in the following parts. In addition to the glorification of militarism and the omnipresent violence, which critics felt was exaggerated, the sequels from the 80s were also accused of being propaganda for the Reagan government of the time.
No, the "Rambo" franchise is certainly not an easy legacy to inherit. It will be interesting to see whether the prequel with Noah Centineo can match the quality of the first part or whether it will have to endure the same vehement criticism as the sequels.
