Rambo prequel director teases a “different” take on the iconic action hero
When First Blood introduces John Rambo, he’s already scarred by the Vietnam War and is barely holding himself together. The upcoming prequel flips the script, showing us the Rambo who existed long before the darkness set in.
It was announced earlier this year that Noah Centineo is set to star as John Rambo in a prequel movie directed by Jalmari Helander (Sisu) from a script by Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani. While speaking with GamesRader, Helander said, “Of course, it’s different, because we’re gonna start in a place where everything is basically pretty okay for Rambo. He’s happy and younger and all that, because we are telling the origin story. What would happen to him? Why did he become that kind of dude that we’ve all seen in First Blood? So it’s different.” A happy John Rambo; that’s going to feel weird.
Released in 1982, First Blood introduced the world to Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo. The first film is darker, moodier, and surprisingly tender, a far cry from the bullet-soaked sequels that followed. Stallone returned for Rambo: First Blood Part II, Rambo III, Rambo, and Rambo: Last Blood, meaning audiences have never seen anyone else in the role. So now the big question is whether Centineo can pull it off, especially since modern remakes of ’80s action icons usually crash and burn.
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John Rambo director says the prequel won’t be as dark as the last two films
Helander has previously said that the Rambo prequel “won’t be as dark as the last two Rambos,” but will instead be a “little more adventurous.” He added that he hopes to “inspire a new generation of 10-year-olds to go into the first to play Rambo.”
Helander won over action fans with the delightfully gory Sisu, which followed a gold prospector who must defend himself against Nazis. The sequel, Sisu: Road to Revenge, takes place a couple of years later and finds the lead character facing off against the Red Army. Our own Ryan Cultrera thought the sequel was just as good as the original. “Road to Revenge is a feast of carnage, grit, and dark humor, elevated by Tommila’s stoic performance and Helander’s confident direction,” he wrote. “It’s best experienced big, loud, and with a crowd ready to cheer. Brutal, ridiculous, and oddly moving, this sequel proves the legend of Koschei the Immortal has plenty of blood left to spill.” You can check out the rest of his review right here. The film will hit theaters on November 21.
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