Movies
Nothing is Sacred as ‘Rambo’ is Getting a Reboot
Growing up, the Rambo films were a big part of my childhood. My dad and I would spend a Saturday afternoon watching one or two of the films every few months, simply because I thought they were awesome. It’s only as I grew older that I realized the first film, First Blood, was actually quite brilliant. On top of being darkly humorous, it was a stunning exploration of a soldier’s struggle with PTSD in a world where he isn’t trusted nor is he even honored. The sequels, while action masterpieces in their own rights, never really had the same impact nor scathing wit. Still, I loved them all, including the 2008 fourth entry, which is probably one of the bloodiest movies I’d seen in a while. A fifth film was supposed to happen but Sylvester Stallone, who co-wrote and starred in each of the films (and directed the fourth), decided to retire the character permanently earlier this year.
Still, Hollywood won’t let anything rest in peace and has decided that John Rambo needs to return to the big screen, so they’re doing a reboot called Rambo: First Blood. Written by Brooks McLaren and directed by Ariel Vromen (Criminal), the film will supposedly see Millennium treat Rambo as a James Bond-like character, per THR. No actual plot details have been released as I’m guessing this is still very much in the early pre-production stage. The only other confirmed news is that Stallone will not be starring in this film, although he might have some other kind of involvement.
Look, I love me some Rambo but I’m 100% happy to let the character never have another movie again. Stallone made that character and I can’t see anyone else portray him. It’s like when Jason Momoa played Conan or Jackie Earl Haley played Freddy. Neither ever felt right. Some characters can only be played be one person and that’s that. So c’mon Hollywood, let this one go. Please?
Theo James Krekis‘ short film Jealous People are Ugly People premiered earlier this year at SXSW and has since inspired a massive bidding war for its feature film expansion.
New Line Cinema has emerged victorious in the latest feeding frenzy over next-generation digital horror IP and its creators, Deadline reports.
Krekis will adapt Jealous People are Ugly People, directing from his own script.
In the short film, “Vasilly has become painfully jealous of his best friend, Luke. But things aren’t going so well for Luke. Every time he shares some good news, he starts to suffer from strange and violent repercussions. Disturbed by the uncanny timing, Vasilly recalls his Yiayia’s warnings about the Greek superstition of the evil eye – and starts to believe his own envy might be to blame for Luke’s bad luck.”
SXSW described the short film as ” a darkly comic psychological thriller about male jealousy, inherited superstition, and the corrosive power of repressed ambition.”
Jennifer Monks and Michelle Stein will produce the feature take alongside Isaac Klausner, John Fischer, Ben Levine and Ethan Cappello. Josh Mack and Lauren Botchan are overseeing for New Line.
Jealous People are Ugly People joins New Line’s upcoming horror slate that also includes Santiago Menghini’s The Revenge of La Llorona on February 26, 2027, and The Conjuring: First Communion on September 10, 2027.