James Franco has reportedly been added to the cast of the upcoming action prequel John Rambo.
He first came to prominence through roles in the Sam Raimi-directed Spider-Man trilogy, The Disaster Artist, 127 Hours and Pineapple Express. In 2018, five women – four of them former students at his now-defunct Studio 4 acting school and one who described him as a mentor – accused him of sexual misconduct. Franco denied the claims at the time.
A civil suit related to the allegations was filed in 2019 and later settled for more than $2.2 million in 2021. In the same year, Franco admitted to having sexual relationships with students, calling his behaviour “wrong”. The controversy effectively sidelined him from major projects and strained his long-standing partnership with Seth Rogen. He recently hinted at returning to a “big studio movie” and addressed rumours of a low-profile existence in an interview with Deadline at the Cannes Film Festival.
“It’s not true I’ve been hiding out,” he said. “I’ve been here the last three or four years running, selling things and they treat me well and I get to go and see great movies.”
Franco will join Noah Centineo – known for To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before – who has been chosen to portray a younger John Rambo, the iconic character created by Sylvester Stallone in First Blood. David Harbour, famed for Stranger Things, has also been cast as Commanding Officer Major Trautman. Additional talent attached to the project includes Yao from Sinners, Jason Tobin of Warrior, Quincy Isaiah from Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, Jefferson White of Civil War, and Tayme Thapthimthong from The White Lotus. The film is being directed by Jalmari Helander.
No release date has been announced, and plot details remain limited beyond the promise of an origin story for the action hero. For further information, readers can read about how Marvel Studios veterans Joe and Anthony Russo are involved.
Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images.
