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The Russo Brothers are stepping into one of cinema’s most iconic action franchises, teaming up with Lionsgate and Millennium Media for John Rambo, a prequel-reboot that will revisit the origins of the legendary soldier.
The project will be produced under the Russos’ AGBO banner, with Anthony and Joe Russo serving as executive producers. Sisu filmmaker Jalmari Helander will direct from a screenplay by Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani (The Mauritanian, Black Adam). Production is set to begin in early 2026 in Thailand.
Rising Hollywood actor Noah Centineo, known for his roles in Black Adam and Netflix’s The Recruit, is in final negotiations to take on the role of a young John Rambo — marking a dramatic shift from his usual clean-cut and charming on-screen persona. The film is expected to explore the psychological and emotional foundations that shaped Rambo into the haunted yet principled warrior audiences first met in First Blood.
According to the official announcement, John Rambo will be set during the Vietnam War and dive deep into the formative experiences that turned an ordinary soldier into one of cinema’s most enduring and complex heroes.
Angela Russo-Otstot, Chief Creative Officer at AGBO, expressed excitement about the project: “Rambo is one of the most enduring and iconic figures in action cinema, and exploring the origins of that mythology is an incredibly exciting opportunity. Everyone knows John Rambo as a relentless force of nature, but what truly distinguishes him are his principles, his code, and his unerring sense of what’s right. Jalmari brings the raw action and emotional depth needed to pay homage to this legendary character.”
Charlotte Koh, Executive Vice President of Acquisitions and Co-Productions at Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, echoed this enthusiasm, saying, “Combining our longstanding partnership with Millennium Media with AGBO’s groundbreaking body of work and Jalmari’s singularly visceral directing talent, we are confident that John Rambo will be an event film that is a must-see for action fans.”
Sylvester Stallone famously portrayed John J. Rambo across five films spanning nearly four decades — from 1982’s First Blood to 2019’s Rambo: Last Blood. The original character was created by author David Morrell in his 1972 novel First Blood, a gritty story of trauma and alienation that became a cornerstone of action cinema.
Meanwhile, Lionsgate continues to expand its grip on classic action franchises, recently securing rights to Stallone’s The Expendables series with plans to develop new films, TV projects, and immersive experiences.
With Helander’s visceral filmmaking style, the Russos’ blockbuster pedigree, and Centineo’s surprising casting, John Rambo aims to reintroduce the character to a new generation — not as the unstoppable warrior fans already know, but as the young man forged by war and defined by a code that would make him a legend. Production on John Rambo begins in early 2026 in Thailand.
