Sylvester Stallone once pitched a Rambo prequel that would’ve seen him play an 18-year-old version of the character, using AI technology to de-age himself onscreen.
In the run-up to the release of Tulsa King season 3, the Oscar-nominated actor recently appeared on The Playlist’s Bingeworthy podcast, where he looked back on his almost 60-year career. During the chat, he recalled bringing up the idea of a prequel to studio executives – and how “everyone thought [he] was crazy” for dreaming it up.
“AI is sophisticated enough to go through Saigon to see him at 18 years old and basically use the same image,” Stallone added, suggesting that the film would’ve been set over a decade before the events of the 1982 original. “So it isn’t as big a stretch.”
Directed by Ted Kotcheff, First Blood centers on US Army war vet John Rambo, who wanders aimlessly into a small Washington town following some tragic news – and is accused of being a drifter by its mean-spirited sheriff. The locals’ hostility causes Rambo to suffer brutal flashbacks from his time in Vietnam, prompting the former soldier to unleash his fury on the officers.
It spawned four sequels: First Blood Part II, Rambo III, Rambo, and Rambo: Last Blood. Stallone is the only actor to have appeared in all five installments.
Just last month, it was announced that Noah Centineo (To All the Boys I Loved Before) has been cast as a younger Rambo in Sisu director Jalmari Helander’s upcoming prequel. When asked about the challenges Centineo might face playing a fresh-faced take on the Green Beret, Stallone replied: “It’s very, very hard. He may do a stellar job, but – I went through it with Get Carter – everyone loves the [first movie], and then you’re always fighting that prejudice.”