Posted in: Casting, Lionsgate, Movies | Tagged: james franco, john rambo, Lionsate

John Rambo: Prequel Adds James Franco To The Cast

Lionsgate has cast James Franco in the new Rambo prequel film, joining Noah Centineo and David Harbour in the production.

Published Mon, 18 May 2026 10:47:10 -0500

by Jeremy Konrad

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Article Summary

John Rambo prequel adds James Franco to the cast, joining Noah Centineo and David Harbour in Lionsgate's film.
Variety reports Franco's casting, his first major studio role since sexual abuse allegations surfaced years ago.
Director Jalmari Helander says John Rambo will be stripped down, raw, and real in an origin story of survival.
Buzz remains muted as doubts linger over recasting John Rambo, the prequel premise, and the franchise's need to return.

John Rambo has added James Franco to the cast of the new prequel film. This marks his first major studio role since multiple women came forward with sexual abuse allegations against the actor at his acting school, which is now closed. He joins a cast that includes Noah Centineo, who is playing Rambo, David Harbour (Stranger Things) Yao (Sinners), Jason Tobin (A Thousand Blows), Quincy Isaiah (Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty), Jefferson White (Yellowstone), and Tayme Thapthimthong (The White Lotus). The film is being directed by Jalmari Helander from a script by Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshivani. Executive producers include Anthony and Joe Russo, Trevor Short, Dallas Sonnier, and Amanda Presmyk; producers include Kevin King Templeton, Les Weldon, Jonathan Yunger, Michael Disco, and Angela Russo-Otsot. Variety reported that Franco was cast.

John Rambo: Prequel Adds James Franco To The Cast — BERLIN, GERMANY – FEBRUARY 06: Actor James Franco, photocall 'Queen of the Desert'. 65th Film Festival at Hyatt Hotel on February 6, 2015 in Berlin, Germany. Image via Shutterstock/ Magicinfoto

John Rambo Has Gotten Little Buzz…So Far

Helander released a statement about the beginning of production: "When I was eleven, I saw First Blood for the first time, and it changed my life. Rambo wasn't just a film to me- it stayed with me growing up and was a defining influence on why I wanted to become a filmmaker. As we begin production on the origin of John Rambo, we are going back to the beginning. This is Rambo stripped down, raw, and real- a survival story about endurance, persistence, and lost innocence. It's an honor to shape this next chapter with deep respect for the character and the legacy, and to bring audiences the start of John Rambo's journey."

Franco hasn't been absent from acting; he just hasn't been appearing in big Hollywood studio fare. It does feel a little icky, him being cast here. This is also not a role I see Centino pulling off, just as I didn't when he was originally cast as He-Man. Harbour's addition gets me a little more excited, but I also do not think we need another Rambo film. The last one was in 2019, and it didn't perform well at the box office. It also feels wrong to see anyone else in the role. Some things can be recast, and that's okay, but I am not sure this is one of them. John Rambo feels like a character whose story has already been told, and the fact that this is a prequel confirms that for me. I guess we shall see.