Millennium Media's Rambo prequel movie, John Rambo, recently wrapped production after filming in locations around Bangkok, Krabi, Phang Nga, and Kanchanaburi in Thailand, and THR is now reporting on a late addition to the cast.
David Harbour (Stranger Things, Thunderbolts*) is set to play Major Sam Trautman, who was Rambo’s commanding officer during the Vietnam War. Richard Crenna played the character in the original Rambo trilogy.
Noah Centineo (Black Adam, The Recruit, Street Fighter) is set to play a younger take on the legendary one-man-army action hero, who we will (presumably) follow during his formative years as a highly formidable Green Beret in the Vietnam War
Here's what the Street Fighter star had to say about the project during a new interview with Collider.
“We wrapped on Wednesday, so it’s done. We wanted to do justice to [Sylvester] Stallone’s and Rambo’s monologue in First Blood at the end of the movie, with him and Trautman at the police station, when he breaks down, and he explains he can’t keep a job, and the trauma of what happened before. At least for me, that was my North Star for this prequel, because our John Rambo is the prequel to that story. We want people to have a visceral understanding of what he went through that led him to become this revered character that we’ve all come to know."
So that’s what you can expect, and that’s what I think we’ve done," he added. "Now, obviously, we’ve wrapped it five days ago, so who knows? I don’t know what the end result is going to be, but it feels really, really good. Jalmari [Helander]’s a monster, our director.”
Sisu director Jalmari Helander will helm from a screenplay by writing duo Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani. Producers are Kevin King-Templeton on behalf of Templeton Media, Les Weldon, Jonathan Yunger and Avi Lerner. Executive producers include Trevor Short and Bonfire Legends’ Dallas Sonnier and Amanda Presmyk.
“When I was 11, I saw First Blood for the first time, and it changed my life," said Helander in a statement. "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.”
Erin Westerman, president of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, added, “We’re thrilled to start production on ‘John Rambo,’ which will allow both new audiences and existing fans to explore John Rambo’s roots, his principles, and most importantly, some incredible action, courtesy of Jalmari’s singular vision. And we’re so excited for Noah’s committed and powerful performance to show what forged this character into legend.”
The original First Blood followed a tormented Vietnam vet (Sylvester Stallone) who is targeted by a corrupt sheriff when he arrives in a small town to see an old friend.
Stallone, who played John Rambo in all five previous movies, is said to be aware of the prequel and Centineo's attachment, but is not currently involved with the film.
Check out the first poster art for John Rambo below.
Vietnam veteran and drifter John J. Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) wanders into a small Washington town in search of an old friend, but is met with intolerance and brutality by the local sheriff, Will Teasle (Brian Dennehy). When Teasle and his deputies restrain and shave Rambo, he flashes back to his time as a prisoner of war and unleashes his fury on the officers. He narrowly escapes the manhunt, but it will take his former commander (Richard Crenna) to save the hunters from the hunted