“John Rambo,” the highly-anticipated origin story to the legendary franchise, has commenced production in Bangkok, Thailand, Millennium Films and Lionsgate announced on Thursday.
Noah Centineo stars in the title role as the one-man fighting force, and will be joined by an exciting ensemble cast including 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”).
“John Rambo” takes audiences back, years before the events of “First Blood,” diving deep into the roots and experiences that forged one of the big screen’s most enduring and complex characters.
“Sisu” filmmaker Jalmari Helander is set to direct. The screenplay is by Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani (“Black Adam,” “The Mauritanian”). Producers include Kevin King Templeton and Les Weldon (the “Rambo” and “Expendables” franchises), Jonathan Yunger (“Rambo: Last Blood,” “Expend4bles”) for Millennium Media, and Michael Disco (“San Andreas,” “Rampage”) and Angela Russo-Otstot (“Extraction,” “The Gray Man”) for AGBO.
Executive producers include Anthony and Joe Russo (“Avengers,” “Captain America”), Trevor Short (the “Expendables” franchise) for Millennium Media, and Dallas Sonnier (“Bone Tomahawk,” “The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin”) and Amanda Presmyk (“Dragged Across Concrete,” “Run Hide Fight”) for Bonfire Legend. The film will be distributed by Lionsgate.
Filming locations will take place across Thailand, including Bangkok, Krabi, Phang Nga and Kanchanaburi.
In his director’s statement, Helander said, “When I was eleven, I saw ‘First Blood’ for the first time, and it changed my life. ‘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.”
Angela Russo-Otstot, producer for AGBO, added: “It’s a rare opportunity to revisit one of our favorite characters and a privilege to place him in the gifted hands of Noah and Jalmari. If these first days of photography have taught us anything, it’s that ‘John Rambo’ is going to be a powerful and resonant chapter of this beloved canon.”
