Because apparently no IP is ever truly dead in Hollywood, action franchise factory Millennium Media — the same folks behind “The Expendables,” “Hitman’s Bodyguard,” and the never-ending ‘Has Fallen’ series — are bringing John Rambo back.
No, not Stallone Rambo. This time, it’s a prequel, because why come up with something new when you can just slap a legacy name on it and call it “fresh”?
Titled “John Rambo,” the film will serve as the origin story of America’s favorite one-man army, set during the Vietnam War. The plot is being kept “under wraps,” directing is Jalmari Helander (”Sisu”), which at least promises some R-rated mayhem. The script comes from Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani (”Black Adam”).
Millennium hopes to start shooting in Thailand this October. Stallone, meanwhile, is not currently involved, but the producers are apparently leaving the door open.
Just in case you forgot: the original ‘First Blood’ dropped in 1982 and actually had something to say about PTSD and the treatment of veterans before the franchise morphed into muscle-bound war porn. Over five films, Rambo has racked up over $800M at the global box office.
So get ready: younger Rambo is coming to save freedom again, probably in slow motion, and definitely shirtless. The only surprise here? It took this long to happen.
The good news is that Helander did an outstanding job directing his WWII action film “Sisu, which featured creatively stylized kills and a dark sense of humor. He’s already completed filming “Sisu 2,” scheduled for release this fall.