Noah Centineo Will Star as Rambo in ‘Rambo’ Prequel

Exciting news for action movie fans: Noah Centineo is set to take on the iconic role of a young John Rambo in a new prequel film, according to Deadline. The project, which is moving forward with Millennium Media, has tapped Jalmari Helander, the director behind Sisu, to helm the movie.

The script comes from writers Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani, and while a few details still need to be ironed out, things are looking good for filming to start in early 2026 in Thailand. Insiders also say Lionsgate, which released the last two Rambo films and worked with Helander on Sisu, is the top choice to pick up this project.

The movie will dive into John Rambo’s early days during the Vietnam War, showing how the legendary action hero came to be. The character, first created by David Morrell in his novel First Blood, became a household name through Sylvester Stallone’s portrayal in the 1982 film. In that movie, Rambo, a skilled Green Beret, takes on a harsh sheriff and his deputies, escaping into the mountains and fighting back in a one-man war.

The Rambo franchise has been a massive hit, raking in over $800 million across five films worldwide. The most recent, Rambo: Last Blood in 2019, brought in $92 million at the box office, with Millennium and Stallone’s Balboa Productions behind it.As for Stallone, Deadline reported earlier this spring that he’s aware of the prequel but isn’t involved in its production. Sources now confirm he’s been informed about Centineo’s casting, though he’s still not part of the project.

Producing the film are Kevin King-Templeton from Templeton Media, along with Les Weldon, Jonathan Yunger, and Avi Lerner. Trevor Short, Dallas Sonnier, and Amanda Presmyk from Bonfire Legends are on board as executive producers.

Noah Centineo, who’s been making waves with roles in Netflix’s To All the Boys I Loved Before and The Recruit, is poised for a major breakout with this part. Playing a young Rambo could cement him as a top action star. He’s also got a busy slate ahead, starring as Ken Masters alongside Jason Momoa and Andrew Koji in Legendary’s live-action Street Fighter, directed by Kitao Sakurai and set to hit theaters in 2026.

Recently, Centineo appeared in A24’s Warfare, directed by Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland, and took on a starring and producing role in Our Hero, Balthazar, which debuted at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival under his Arkhum banner.

The plot of the Rambo prequel is still hush-hush, but with Centineo stepping into Stallone’s boots and a talented team behind the scenes, fans are already buzzing about this fresh take on an action classic.

First reported by Deadline.

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