Rambo 6 Begins Filming As Prequel Adds 5 To Cast

John Rambo is locked, loaded, and ready to go for another big screen battle.

The upcoming prequel film, titled John Rambo, will star Noah Centineo in the role originated by Sylvester Stallone in 1982's First Blood. It's been reported that the prequel will serve as an origin story as it tracks Rambo's early days during the Vietnam War. Sisu director Jalmari Helander is set to helm the project, which is based on a script by writing duo Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani.

Now, Lionsgate has confirmed that John Rambo has officially begun filming, with production kicking off in Thailand. Additionally, 5 new cast members were announced: Yao (Sinners), Jason Tobin (A Thousand Blows), Quincy Isaiah (Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty), Jefferson White (Yellowstone), and Tayme Thapthimthong (The White Lotus).

Helander has also released a statement as production begins, saying, "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."

Teasing what's in store for the film, Helander continues, "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."

The Rambo franchise has spanned 5 feature films so far, the first of which was released in 1982 and saw the eponymous Green Beret wage a one-man war against a sheriff. After the first three films were released in the 80s, Stallone returned as the character in 2008 for Rambo before reprising the role 11 years later in 2019's Last Blood. In total, the franchise has generated over $800 million at the box office.

The original film is itself an adaptation of author David Morrell's novel First Blood, but it's unclear whether the new film will pull from the source material or not. Centineo has already proven himself a capable action star, having led Netflix spy series The Recruit and appearing in the DCEU film Black Adam as Atom Smasher. 2025's Warfare, directed by Alex Garland, may have prepared him most for this role, though.