The iconic Rambo franchise is making a comeback with a prequel film in development, helmed by Jalmari Helander, director of Sisu and Big Game. As reported by Deadline, Millennium Media is introducing the project titled John Rambo at the Cannes film market.

The Cannes Market, held alongside the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, serves as a platform for filmmakers to showcase upcoming projects seeking financing or distribution deals. Millennium Media, the studio behind action hits like The Expendables and the Has Fallen series, previously produced 2008's Rambo and its 2019 sequel Rambo: Last Blood.

While plot details remain scarce, John Rambo will explore the character's Vietnam War origins as a prequel to the groundbreaking 1982 film First Blood. No casting announcements have been made yet. Deadline notes that Sylvester Stallone, who originally portrayed Rambo, has been informed about the project but isn't currently involved.

The screenplay comes from writing duo Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani (The Mauritanian, Black Adam), with principal photography scheduled to commence in Thailand this October.

Though a Rambo prequel might seem unexpected, Helander's proven action credentials — demonstrated in his brutally stylish 2023 WWII film Sisu (which reimagined John Wick as an elderly Finnish soldier hunting Nazis during the Lapland War) — suggest he's perfectly suited for this high-octane project.