Development In June 2021,
Quentin Tarantino revealed that he had an interest in directing a film adaptation of
David Morrell's novel
First Blood, which had previously been adapted into the
1982 film of the same name. He voiced interest in casting
Kurt Russell as the sheriff, and
Adam Driver as
John Rambo. He states that the inspiration for his idea came from the dialogue in the novel, and
David O. Russell's career, where Tarantino believed that for his film
The Fighter, that he got "over himself, over being the
auteur" and focused on making "a good movie," a strategy Tarantino would seek to emulate. A new film in the
Rambo franchise telling the
origin story of
John Rambo in the
Vietnam War before the events of
First Blood was first announced at the 2025
Cannes Film Market. The screenplay was written by
Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani, with
Jalmari Helander attached to direct. The director shared:
Noah Centineo was cast as the titular character in August. Helander has described the filming conditions in the jungle as rough due to the sweaty climate and mosquitoes. In November 2025, it was announced that
Lionsgate Films had gained the rights for the film, while
AGBO joined as a production company. In March 2026, original John Rambo actor
Sylvester Stallone joined the film as an executive producer.
Filming Principal photography began on January 29, 2026, in
Bangkok, with
Yao,
Jason Tobin,
Quincy Isaiah,
Jefferson White,
Tayme Thapthimthong, and
David Harbour rounding out the cast. Filming
wrapped in March.
Mika Orasmaa serves as the cinematographer. ==References==