TLDR: Sylvester Stallone revealed his ambition to utilize artificial intelligence for a Rambo prequel, aiming to dramatically alter the character’s backstory from a ‘bon vivant’ and ‘prom king’ to the hardened veteran. This AI-driven concept, however, was ultimately shelved, with Millennium Media moving forward with their own prequel, ‘John Rambo,’ starring Noah Centineo and without Stallone’s involvement.
Hollywood icon Sylvester Stallone recently disclosed his innovative, albeit ultimately unrealized, vision for a Rambo prequel that would have leveraged artificial intelligence to ‘rewrite history’ for the iconic character. Stallone, who famously portrayed John Rambo across five films from 1982 to 2019, expressed a desire to explore a drastically different origin for the Green Beret.
According to Stallone, his concept involved depicting a young John Rambo as a ‘bon vivant,’ the ‘nicest guy in the school, the valedictorian, the prom king.’ The narrative would then trace his harrowing transformation during the Vietnam War, showing him being ‘tortured and captured, his friends murdered, one thing after another, and [his] life in Saigon.’ This stark contrast would illustrate how these traumatic experiences forged the hardened, solitary figure known to audiences.
Stallone articulated his plan, stating, ‘I wanted to do the first AI… not retroactive… but I wanted to rewrite history of the earlier Rambo because I wanted Rambo to be the nicest guy in the school, the valedictorian, the prom king, and all that stuff. And when he goes to Vietnam, he thinks it’s going to be a three-week hit-and-run, and you see him being tortured and captured, his friends murdered, one thing after another, and [his] life in Saigon. And that’s how I became the way I became, but originally I was bon vivant–that kind of thing. And I thought, ‘We could do this with AI,’ but [we] procrastinated too long and they took it over and, I hope, you know, good luck.’
His ambitious AI-driven prequel never came to fruition, as Stallone noted that he ‘procrastinated too long’ and others ‘took it over.’ Indeed, Millennium Media, the production company behind the 2008 and 2019 Rambo installments, is currently developing its own prequel titled ‘John Rambo.’ This upcoming film will star Noah Centineo in the titular role and is slated to begin principal photography in Thailand in early 2026. Jalmari Helander, known for directing ‘Sisu,’ is attached to direct from a screenplay by Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani. Stallone has confirmed he will have no involvement in this new production.
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This revelation highlights the increasing role of AI in the entertainment industry, particularly in areas like de-aging technology, which has been used for actors such as Jeff Bridges, Tom Hanks, and Harrison Ford. Stallone’s proposal, however, aimed beyond mere visual alteration, seeking to fundamentally reimagine a character’s foundational narrative through AI’s capabilities.
