Stallone steps away from Rambo revival series, won’t be involved in ‘any way at all’

By Christine Persaud December 7, 2015

Sylvester Stallone wears a bandana in Rambo. — Orion Pictures

Despite earlier reports that suggested that Rambo himself, Sylvester Stallone, would return to the franchise to executive produce the upcoming Fox TV series based on the iconic ‘80s movie franchise, new reports indicate that the aging action man won’t, in fact, be involved with the project at all, reports Deadline.

Called Rambo: New Blood, the one-hour Fox series will reportedly be about the life of Rambo and his relationship with his son, a former Navy SEAL. It is being produced by Entertainment One and Millennium Films, and will be written by Jeb Stuart, the screenwriter for Die Hard.

That storyline just screams for Stallone to reprise his role as the former Green Beret and Vietnam Vet, with a penchant for guerrilla warfare. How, after all, could anyone but Stallone be called Rambo? But alas, Deadline quotes Stallone’s reps who said the actor has “opted not to participate in the planned Rambo television series in any way at all.”

“I wish the others well with the project,” added Stallone himself.

It was believed back in 2013 when the show was first confirmed to be in the works that, not surprisingly, Stallone was being courted to be part of it. And just last week, the actor was reportedly listed as an executive producer in the show’s credits. But it appears that is not the case. Which potentially leaves the future of Rambo: New Blood in limbo.

Should it go forward, the show would mark the fifth incarnation of the Rambo character, which is based on the novel First Blood, written by David Morrell. There have been four Rambo movies to date. A fifth film is in production called Rambo: Last Blood, which Stallone has confirmed that he will be part of. There’s no word yet, however, on when it will be released.

Topics

Christine Persaud

Contributor

Christine has decades of experience in trade and consumer journalism. While she started her career writing exclusively about…

Entertainment

5 underrated movies on Netflix you need to watch in October 2024

A group of teens dressed in formal wear walk while locking arms.

October is a big month for TV. One of the most popular shows on Netflix, Outer Banks, returns for its fourth season, which will be split into two parts. Speaking of returning shows, Heartstopper season 3 and The Diplomat season 2 are back in October. Additionally, the NBA will introduce a new 10-part docuseries, Starting 5, which chronicles the 2023-2024 season.

Enough about television; let's focus on movies -- not the top titles, but the ones that can get lost within the Netflix vault. Below are five movies that will not be on this week's most popular list. However, they all might be considered underrated, depending on your preference. Our picks include a dystopian thriller, a teen romance, and a raunchy animated comedy.

Entertainment

Until Dawn movie director shares a promising, bloody update

A skull hourglass stands ominously on the Until Dawn video game cover.

One of Hollywood's most high-profile forthcoming video game adaptations has reached an important milestone. The film in question, Until Dawn, has been steadily progressing forward ever since it was first announced in January. A cast for the movie, an adaptation of the popular 2015 horror game of the same name, was subsequently put together in June and August, consisting of stars like Ella Rubin, Ji-young Yoo, Michael Cimino, Maia Mitchell, and Peter Stormare. The latter actor is set to reprise his role as Dr. Alan J. Hill from the original Until Dawn video game.

Now, just nine months after it was announced, filming has officially wrapped on Until Dawn. Director David F. Sandberg shared the news on his Instagram, writing, "We made it until dawn! That’s a wrap on #UntilDawnMovie." Sandberg accompanied the caption with an image of him holding up the official Until Dawn film slate in front of a bloody mirror.

Entertainment

Salem’s Lot director reveals the Stephen King adaptation was originally much longer

Mike and Matt peer through a shelf in Salem's Lot.

There was a lot of hype surrounding Salem's Lot heading into its long-awaited streaming premiere in early October. The Gary Dauberman-directed adaptation of Stephen King's beloved 1975 novel originally finished filming in the summer of 2022, but then it was seemingly put on the shelf for an indefinite amount of time by Warner Bros. Pictures. King himself, however, helped bring attention back to the project in February when he tweeted his positive thoughts about it and expressed his confusion over its behind-the-scenes delays. Shortly afterward, WB announced it would be releasing Salem's Lot as a Max exclusive.

King's support of the film did a lot to bolster the early word-of-mouth surrounding it, but that didn't stop Salem's Lot from being welcomed with mostly mixed reviews when it premiered on October 3. The film was notably criticized for its rushed retelling of King's iconic vampire story and its inability to fully flesh out its characters. Some, consequently, speculated that the movie's biggest problems may have been due to studio interference and corporate-mandated cuts.