The origin story of the character Sylvester Stallone first portrayed in 1982’s “First Blood” is told in the Lionsgate film. John Rambo is on his way to the front lines.
Actor of John Rambo:
Actor Noah Gregory Centineo is from the United States. His initial television performances were on Disney Channel and Nickelodeon, most notably on Austin & Ally (2011–2012). Later, he made a breakthrough performance as Jesus Adams Foster in the Freeform drama series The Fosters (2015–2018). His roles in the romantic comedies on Netflix helped him gain more notoriety. Sierra Burgess Is a Loser (2018), The Perfect Date (2019), and the To All the Boys franchise (2018–2021).
Since then, Centineo has portrayed the title character in the Netflix spy adventure series The Recruit (2022–2025) and Atom Smasher in the superhero movie Black Adam (2022).
Centineo’s casting as Ken Masters in the Street Fighter reboot movie was revealed in May 2025. Centineo was chosen to play young John Rambo in the planned prequel movie in August 2025.
The latest feature in the revived Rambo franchise has started production in Bangkok, Thailand. Lionsgate will distribute director Jalmari Helander‘s movie that tells the origins of the titular character. It is set years before the events in First Blood, the 1982 film that starred Sylvester Stallone and adapted author David Morrell’s novel of the same name.
Noah Centineo, who stars in this year’s Street Fighter, plays the lead in the new movie.
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) will all be part of John Rambo’s ensemble cast, Lionsgate revealed on Thursday.
Helander (Sisu and its sequel) helms the prequel project from a script by Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani (Black Adam). Kevin King Templeton, Les Weldon, Jonathan Yunger, Michael Disco, and Angela Russo-Otstot are among the producers of the movie, which comes from Millennium Media, Templeton Media, and AGBO. Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, Trevor Short, Dallas Sonnier and Amanda Presmyk are executive producing.
In First Blood, Stallone created the character of John Rambo, a Vietnam War veteran who battled the National Guard and a small-town sheriff. The film collected $125 million globally ($417 million today) and spawned a slew of sequels, the most recent of which was 2019’s Rambo: Last Blood
“I saw First Blood for the first time when I was eleven, and it changed my life,” Helander said in a statement. “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 introduce viewers to the beginning of John Rambo’s journey.”
“We’re excited to begin 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,” added Erin Westerman, president of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group. And we can’t wait for Noah’s dedicated and impactful performance to reveal what made this figure legendary.
Helander stated in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter that he wanted to use John Rambo to make Stallone proud. The director remarked, “It’s a big deal for me to actually do a Rambo film, and there’s a lot of responsibility.” “I hope that’s sufficient. I’m just trying to do the best I can with it.”
