John Rambo, a new prequel film about the titular character, has a release date. Lionsgate has confirmed that the new film starring Noah Centineo will release on June 4, 2027. (It’ll be sandwiched between Shawn Levy’s Star Wars: Starfighter and the live-action How to Train Your Dragon 2.)
Not much is known about John Rambo, other than it will show fans the origin story of the character during his days in Vietnam. Sylvester Stallone is not expected to star in the film, but will executive produce the movie. His last turn as the character was in Rambo: Last Blood, a poorly received finale co-written by Stallone as a way to send off his iteration of the character. Centineo, who also plays Ken Masters in the upcoming Street Fighter movie, will play the character this go around and will be joined by the likes of David Harbour as Major Trautman and James Franco, who hasn’t starred in a major Hollywood film in nearly a decade, in an unspecified “small role.”
John Rambo will be helmed by Sisu director Jalmari Helander based on a script from Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani, who co-wrote Black Adam. The film will also be executive-produced by Marvel legends The Russo Brothers through their production company AGBO.
Filming on the prequel wrapped earlier this year. It’s unclear if there are any plans for sequels with Centineo in the role of John Rambo, as we’ve already seen some of the most pivotal parts of the character’s life on-screen over the course of five films. The later films focused on a much older version of the character as well, making it difficult for a young actor like Centineo to fill in some of the gaps between those movies.
Cade Onder is a freelancer for IGN’s news team. He covers all things entertainment, including gaming, film, and more. You can find him on Twitter @Cade_Onder.
