Overview

• Stallone told The Playlist’s Bingeworthy podcast and ScreenRant he proposed using AI to de‑age himself and "rewrite" Rambo’s early life as a model student and prom king whose Vietnam experience breaks him.
• He said the idea stalled due to timing, that others moved ahead with a different prequel, and that he has no involvement in the new project besides offering goodwill.
• Millennium Media’s John Rambo prequel is in development with Noah Centineo starring and Jalmari Helander directing, focusing on the character’s Green Beret service in Vietnam from a script by Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani.
• Recent reports cite early 2026 in Thailand for principal photography and suggest Lionsgate as a potential distributor, which remain unconfirmed details attributed to industry sources.
• Stallone cautioned that taking over the role will be difficult for any actor and noted ongoing industry unease over AI and likeness rights that intensified during SAG‑AFTRA’s 2023 labor disputes.