RAMBO: Millenium Media Eyes Prequel With ‘Sisu’ Director

Yup. Rambo’s coming back…

Word has it that Millenium Media is revamping the IP for a new origin story set during the Vietnam War with none other than Jalmari Helander directing the film. The company is also eyeing a production start in October over in Thailand.

Helander will direct from a screenplay by Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani (Black Adam), with the film billed as a prequel to Ted Kotcheff’s inaugural 1982 film, First Blood, based on David Morell’s 1972 Rowman & Littlefield book. Kevin King-Templeton will produce for Templeton Media alongside Les Weldon, Jonathan Yunger and Avi Lerner. Exec producing are Trevor Short, and Bonfire Legends’ Dallas Sonnier and Amanda Presmyk. The news comes courtesy of Deadline’s Andreas Wiseman who also notes that Sylvester Stallone is well aware of the project and is currently not involved.

Stallone debuted the character in Kotcheff’s film for Orion Pictures, translating Morell’s novel onto the screen with co-stars Brian Dennehey and Richard Crenna, and becoming a multimedia franchise for years to come. It circles the titular role of John Rambo, a Vietnam war veteran whose welcome home escalates into a fight for survival when he passes through a small town, clashing with a tyrannical sheriff and ensuing an all out war at home.

First Blood encompasses themes central to the anti-war zeitgeist of the time, which carried well over into George P. Cosmatos’s 1985 sequel from TriStar. Peter MacDonald directed the third installment in 1988, followed by Stallone’s directorial effort 20 years later, and then more recently with Adrian Grunberg’s Rambo: Last Blood in 2019.

Even leading up to Last Blood, there had constantly been talk of a reboot for Rambo, even for television, as well as an overseas take on the IP that would have Tiger Shroff in his own version. Even that last one remains in pre-production, while it’s worth noting that Millenium’s push to gin up Rambo fervor is surely gonna keep the convo going a little longer.

Helander has a good stake in this latest career move given previous Finnish action adventures like Rare Exports, Big Game, and Sisu, which also has an sequel currently in post-production.

“We are thrilled to introduce a fresh new chapter to the Rambo legacy. This project is a tribute to one of the best franchises in movie history that will appeal to both longtime fans and new audiences alike,” said Millennium President Jonathan Yunger. “With Jalmari Helander at the helm — a filmmaker of exceptional vision and energy — we’ve found the perfect director to deliver a high-concept action-packed experience.”

Added Helander: ”I have been the biggest fan of Rambo since the age of 11. It is so surreal to be in a situation where I can actually make my own Rambo movie. The chain of events that got me here makes, in a fantastic way, my whole childhood make sense. I can’t wait to bring the greatest action hero back to the big screen where he belongs.”

Read more at Deadline.