Movies - John Rambo : A Raw Return to the Roots of a Cinematic Icon Begins Production in Thailand

By Mulder, 29 january 2026

“ When I was eleven, I saw First Blood for the first time, and it changed my life. 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 bring audiences the start of John Rambo’s journey.” - Director Jalmari Helander

Production has officially begun on John Rambo, the highly anticipated origin story of one of cinema’s most enduring action figures, with cameras rolling as of January 29, 2026, in Bangkok, Thailand, a location whose dense jungles and oppressive climate echo the stripped-down survivalist spirit the film is aiming to capture. Directed by Jalmari Helander, the filmmaker behind the ferocious Sisu, this new chapter promises to peel back the myth and return to the man, exploring the formative experiences that shaped John Rambo long before the events of First Blood. For Jalmari Helander, this project is deeply personal; he has openly shared that discovering First Blood at the age of eleven was a life-altering moment, one that stayed with him throughout his youth and directly influenced his desire to become a filmmaker. That childhood connection permeates the production, with Jalmari Helander describing the film as “Rambo stripped down, raw, and real,” a survival story centered on endurance, persistence, and lost innocence, and approached with what he calls a profound respect for both the character and its legacy.

At the center of this reinvention stands Noah Centineo, cast as the young John Rambo, years before he would wander into Hope, Washington. Known to wider audiences for a very different screen persona, Noah Centineo’s casting signals a deliberate effort to emphasize vulnerability and psychological formation over sheer mythic toughness, anchoring the character in humanity before legend takes over. The screenplay is penned by Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani, a writing duo whose previous work balances large-scale spectacle with moral complexity, and here they dive into the Vietnam War-era roots of Rambo, adapting characters originally created by David Morrell. The film marks the sixth installment in the Rambo saga, but functions narratively as a true beginning, reframing the franchise not as an escalation of action tropes, but as an intimate origin story forged through trauma and survival.

The production itself reflects the scale and ambition of the project, uniting major industry players behind the scenes. The film is produced by Kevin King Templeton and Les Weldon, both closely associated with the Rambo and Expendables franchises, alongside Jonathan Yunger for Millennium Media. They are joined by Michael Disco and Angela Russo-Otstot representing AGBO, the powerhouse banner founded by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo, who also serve as executive producers. Additional executive producers include Trevor Short for Millennium Media, and Dallas Sonnier and Amanda Presmyk for Bonfire Legend, underscoring a rare alignment between franchise stewardship and prestige-driven production sensibilities. Distribution duties are handled by Lionsgate, which officially acquired the rights in November 2025, cementing the film’s place as a major theatrical release.

The supporting cast further reinforces the film’s international and contemporary flavor, with Yao, Jason Tobin, Quincy Isaiah, Jefferson White, and Tayme Thapthimthong joining Noah Centineo in what has been described as an ensemble grounded in character rather than archetype. Behind the camera, cinematography is handled by Mika Orasmaa, a frequent collaborator of Jalmari Helander, whose visual style favors natural light, textured environments, and physical realism—an approach well-suited to the harsh jungle conditions that the director himself has described as grueling, marked by extreme humidity and relentless mosquitoes, factors that reportedly contribute to the film’s raw, immersive aesthetic rather than detract from it.

Interestingly, John Rambo arrives after years of speculation surrounding alternative creative paths for the franchise, including public comments made in June 2021 by Quentin Tarantino, who revealed his interest in directing a more novel-faithful adaptation of First Blood, even floating Kurt Russell and Adam Driver as hypothetical casting choices. That version never materialized, but its existence highlights the enduring fascination with the character and the narrative elasticity of Rambo as a figure. Ultimately, the current incarnation was officially unveiled at the 2025 Cannes Film Market, where Jalmari Helander’s attachment immediately signaled a tonal shift toward visceral, grounded storytelling. As the director himself has noted, the journey to this film feels like a full-circle moment, a convergence of childhood inspiration and professional destiny, and that sense of earned authorship may well be the project’s most compelling asset.

With principal photography now underway and a creative team deeply conscious of the character’s cultural weight, John Rambo positions itself not as a nostalgic retread, but as a foundational chapter designed to recontextualize a legend for a new generation. By returning to the psychological and physical crucible that forged John Rambo, the film aims to remind audiences that before he became an icon of action cinema, he was first and foremost a survivor, shaped by war, isolation, and a loss of innocence that still resonates more than four decades after First Blood first hit the screen.

John Rambo
Directed by Jalmari Helander
Written by Rory Haines, Sohrab Noshirvani
Based on Characters by David Morrell
Produced by Kevin King-Templeton, Les Weldon, Jonathan Yunger, Avi Lerner, Angela Russo-Otstot, Michael Disco
Starring  Noah Centineo, Yao, Jason Tobin, Quincy Isaiah, Jefferson White, Tayme Thapthimthong
Cinematography : Mika Orasmaa
Production companies : Millennium Media, AGBO, Templeton Media
Distributed by Lionsgate