Production has officially started on John Rambo, a highly anticipated prequel exploring the origin story of the iconic veteran John Rambo.

Noah Centineo, known for his role in The Recruit, will take over the titular role previously made famous by Sylvester Stallone.

The film, which chronicles Rambo’s baptism of fire in the jungles of Vietnam, is currently being shot across multiple locations in Thailand, including Bangkok, Krabi, Phang Nga, and Kanchanaburi.

Finnish Director Jalmari Helander, acclaimed for his action film Sisu and its sequel Sisu: Road to Revenge, is directing the project.

Helander shared his personal connection to the character, recalling that watching First Blood at age eleven inspired his dream of becoming a filmmaker.

He described the prequel as a “stripped down, raw, and real” survival story that focuses on endurance, persistence, and lost innocence, honoring the legacy of Rambo while revealing the true beginnings of his journey.

Star-Studded Cast and Production Team

The prequel is set years before the events of 1982’s First Blood and is backed by Lionsgate, Millennium Media, Templeton Media, and AGBO, with Lionsgate also handling distribution.

The screenplay is written by Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani, known for The Mauritanian.

Producing duties are managed by Kevin King Templeton, Les Weldon, and Jonathan Yunger for Millennium Media, and Michael Disco and Angela Russo-Otstot for AGBO.

Executive producers include Joe and Anthony Russo, Trevor Short, and Dallas Sonnier and Amanda Presmyk for Bonfire Legend.

The cast has expanded to include Yao (Sinners), Jason Tobin (A Thousand Blows), Quincy Isaiah (Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty), Jefferson White (Yellowstone), and Tayme Thapthimthong (The White Lotus). Roles for these actors, as well as the pivotal character of Colonel Sam Trautman, have yet to be announced.

A Legacy of Action: The Rambo Franchise

The original Rambo franchise began with First Blood (1982), an adaptation of David Morrell’s novel. Directed by Ted Kotcheff, the film introduced Sylvester Stallone as John Rambo, a disaffected Green Beret drifter caught in a deadly conflict with Sheriff Will Teasle in Hope, Washington. Rambo’s former commanding officer, Colonel Sam Trautman (Richard Crenna), ultimately intervenes to de-escalate the situation. Despite its seemingly standalone premise, the film was a surprise hit, spawning a globally successful action franchise.

The series continued with Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985), in which Rambo rescues POWs in post-war Vietnam, and Rambo III (1988), where he aids the Mujahideen in Afghanistan.

The character even led an animated series, Rambo: The Force of Freedom.

Stallone returned to the role in 2008’s Rambo, rescuing missionaries from the Burmese military, and again in 2019’s Rambo: Last Blood, confronting a Mexican drug cartel.