'The Recruit' star in talks to play young John Rambo in a new prequel — here’s everything we know
'To All the Boys I've Loved Before' star Noah Centineo is currently in talks to play the titular role in the ‘Rambo’ prequel. According to a new report by The Wrap, Lionsgate has finalized a deal with Millennium Media to secure the rights to develop and produce all derivative works of 'The Expendables' and 'Rambo' franchise. In addition to this, the studio has bagged the worldwide rights to 'John Rambo', which will be the sixth installment of the popular action franchise. Now that the deal is done, Lionsgate has the rights to make derivative works, including television productions, future films, video games, and immersive experiences based on 'The Expendables.'
'The Expendables' is a franchise widely distributed in the UK and North America, and has grossed $700 million worldwide at the box office, as per The Wrap. Now, Lionsgate is the lead studio and will be a production partner with Millennium for all future projects related to 'Rambo.' At the moment, Centineo is in final negotiations to essay the main role in 'John Rambo,' the upcoming prequel to the 'Rambo' film series.
'John Rambo' will be helmed by Finnish filmmaker Jalmari Helander, well-known for his works on movies like 'Sisu' and 'Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale.' The script of the film will be penned by Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani. Up until this moment, additional details about the film have been kept under wraps. The new prequel will revolve around John Rambo’s time as a Green Beret during the Vietnam War. Les Weldon, Jonathan Yunger, and Avi Lerner will serve as the producers of the film alongside Kevin King-Templeton of Templeton Media. On the other hand, Trevor Short and Bonfire Legends’ Dallas Sonnier and Amanda Presmyk will be executive producing the project. The production of the movie will kickstart in January next year.
For the unversed, Sylvester Stallone first played the role of the Vietnam War veteran Rambo in the 1982 film 'First Blood,' based on the 1972 novel of the same name by David Morrell. Later on, Stallone went on to reprise the popular character four times. Back in the day, the famous film franchise ruled the box office and earned over $800 million worldwide.