Noah Centineo Steps into Rambo’s Boots for a Gritty Vietnam War Prequel

Big news for Rambo fans: Noah Centineo is gearing up to play a young John Rambo in a brand-new prequel film, according to sources at Deadline. Millennium Media is behind the project, and they’ve brought in Jalmari Helander, the guy who directed Sisu, to take the helm. The script is being penned by writers Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani.

While there are still a few kinks to work out, the project is on track, with plans to start shooting in Thailand in early 2026. Word is, Lionsgate, which put out the last two Rambo films and has a history with Helander from Sisu, is the top contender to snag this movie.

This film is going to take us back to John Rambo’s early days, showing his time as a young soldier in the Vietnam War. The story’s details are still under lock and key, but it’s set to explore how the iconic action hero, created by David Morrell in his novel First Blood, became the legend we know. The original 1982 movie had Sylvester Stallone as Rambo, a Green Beret who takes on a brutal sheriff and his deputies, escaping into the mountains and fighting a one-man war.

The five Rambo films have pulled in over $800 million worldwide, with the latest, 2019’s Rambo: Last Blood, made by Millennium and Stallone’s Balboa Productions, earning $92 million at the box office .

Speaking of Stallone, Deadline reported earlier this spring that he knows about the prequel but isn’t involved in making it. Sources now say he’s been told about Centineo’s casting, but he’s still staying out of the project. The film is being produced by Kevin King-Templeton from Templeton Media, along with Les Weldon, Jonathan Yunger, and Avi Lerner. Trevor Short and Bonfire Legends’ Dallas Sonnier and Amanda Presmyk are executive producers.

Noah Centineo’s career is heating up fast, thanks to roles in Netflix’s To All the Boys I Loved Before and The Recruit. Taking on Rambo could be the role that makes him a household name in action films. He’s also set to star as Ken Masters in Legendary’s live-action Street Fighter, alongside Jason Momoa and Andrew Koji, directed by Kitao Sakurai, with a release planned for 2026. Recently, Centineo showed up in A24’s Warfare, directed by Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland, and starred in and produced Our Hero, Balthazar, which hit this year’s Tribeca Film Festival under his Arkhum banner.

With Centineo stepping into Rambo’s world and a solid team bringing this origin story to life, this prequel is shaping up to be a must-watch for action fans.

First reported by Deadline.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!