Production has begun on Rambo prequel, John Rambo.

Noah Centineo (the upcoming Street Fighter) stars.

Jalmari Helander (Rare Exports, Sisu) directs from a screenplay by Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani (Black Adam, The Mauritanian), and the film will be distributed in theaters by Lionsgate.

John Rambo takes audiences back, years before First Blood, diving deep into the roots and experiences that forged one of the big screen’s most enduring and complex characters.

Centineo is joined by an ensemble cast including 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”).

Director Jalmari Helander said in a statement this afternoon, “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’re 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.”