Joe and Anthony Russo have jumped on board the John Rambo prequel movie as executive producers through their AGBO banner.
Jalmari Helander is set to direct and Noah Centineo is in final talks to star in the Rambo origin pic from Lionsgate and Millennium Media. “AGBO’s entire team, led by Anthony and Joe, are creative innovators who are delivering the most emotionally satisfying and inventive action-led storytelling in theaters around the world today,” said Charlotte Koh, executive vp of acquisitions and co-productions at the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group.
The filmmakers released their feature The Electric State on Netflix in the spring, and are working on Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars for Marvel. Angela Russo-Otstot and Michael Disco will produce John Rambo for AGBO, alongside Kevin King Templeton, Les Weldon, and Jonathan Yunger for Millennium Media.
Lionsgate recently acquired global distribution rights to John Rambo and is launching international sales at the American Film Market. The prequel, scheduled to start production in Thailand in early 2026, is set during the Vietnam War and will explore the formative experiences that shaped the Rambo action hero made famous by Sylvester Stallone in the 1980s. It marks the sixth installment in the Rambo franchise.
The film will be directed by Helander (Sisu) from a screenplay by Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani. “Rambo is one of the most enduring and iconic figures in action cinema and exploring the origins of that mythology is an incredibly exciting opportunity,” Russo-Otstot, chief creative officer at AGBO, said in a statement.
AGBO’s credits include The Gray Man and the Extraction movies for Netflix.
