John Rambo is going back to the beginning.
Production has officially started on a new one Rambo prequel, with Noah Centineo stepping into the iconic role made famous by Sylvester Stallone. Filming is underway in Bangkok, Thailand, with the origin story set years before the events of the 1982s First Bloodwhich launched the long-running franchise.
Centineo, 29, leads the film as a younger version of the troubled war veteran. Lionsgate confirmed on January 29 that the ensemble cast includes Yao, Jason Tobin, Quincy Isaiah, Jefferson White and Tayme Thapthimthong, who round out the project as cameras roll.
The film is directed by Jalmari Helander, known for Sisu and its upcoming sequel, from a screenplay by Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani.
“When I was 11, I saw First Blood for the first time, and it changed my life,” Helander said in a statement. “Rambo wasn’t just a movie for me — it kept growing and was a defining influence on why I wanted to be a filmmaker.”
He added: “This is Rambo stripped down, raw and real – a survival story of endurance, tenacity and lost innocence.”
Stallone first brought John Rambo to the screen First Bloodportraying a Vietnam War veteran pushed to breaking point after a run-in with local law enforcement. The film was a box office success, grossing $125 million worldwide and spawning several sequels, most recently 2019’s Rambo: Last Blood.
