Lionsgate Touts More RAMBO And EXPENDABLES In New Deal With Millenium Media
Lionsgate reportedly struck a new deal with Millenium Media as of Monday. Per Variety’s Alex Ritman, the deal pertains to the Rambo and The Expendables franchises, with Jalmari Helander (Sisu, Sisu 2: Road To Revenge) set to helm actor Noah Centineo in a revamp of the former.
Per the report, Lionsgate has “acquired the rights to develop and produce ‘all derivative works, including future film and television productions,’ of ‘The Expendables’ franchise, as well as worldwide distribution rights to ‘John Rambo,’ the upcoming sixth installment of the Rambo film series.” The deal effectively gives Lionsgate the lead in its partnership with Millenium on both properties, including film, TV, video games, and more.
Sylvester Stallone kicked off the Rambo franchise with Ted Kotcheff’s inaugural 1982 film, “First Blood,” based on David Morell’s 1972 Rowman & Littlefield book. Among its multiple prospects, the franchise spawned four sequels through 2019 with Adrian Grunberg’s Rambo: Last Blood.
Rolling cameras in Thailand next year, Centineo will star in Helander’s John Rambo, last billed as a prequel to Kotcheff’s film, from a script by Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani (Black Adam). Kevin King-Templeton will produce for Templeton Media alongside Les Weldon, Jonathan Yunger and Jonathan Yunger. Exec producing are Bonfire Legends’ Dallas Sonnier and Amanda Presmyk.
“This deal expands Lionsgate’s portfolio of genre-defining action franchises and reinforces our commitment to delivering world-class IP across multiple platforms,” said Brian Goldsmith, COO, Lionsgate. “We’re excited to reimagine both ‘The Expendables’ and ‘Rambo’ across film and television —and with ‘John Rambo,’ we’re bringing together a bold creative team to reinvent a classic character for a new generation of fans.”
“We’ve always believed in the enduring power of these franchises, and this partnership gives them the scale, creative support and global reach they deserve,” added Jonathan Yunger, president of Millennium Media. “Lionsgate’s strong track record with major action properties makes it the ideal partner to help shape the next chapters of ‘The Expendables’ and ‘Rambo.’”
Lionsgate has rolled in north of $780 million in all four installments of The Expendables franchise, which launched in 2010 with an ensemble cast of action stars exploring the story of a team of ex-soldiers-cum-mercenaries. Stallone directed the first followed by Simon West and Patrick Hughes for the second and third, and Scott Waugh for the most recent, Expend4bles, in 2023.
Read more at Variety.
Lead image: Lionsgate
