Rambo Prequel Director Says AI De‑Aging “Isn’t There Yet” — Why Jalmari Helander Picked Noah Centineo Over Stallone
Finnish director Jalmari Helander has defended his choice to cast Noah Centineo as the young John Rambo in the upcoming prequel, and he pushed back on Sylvester Stallone’s idea to play an 18‑year‑old Rambo using AI de‑aging. Helander spoke about the project while promoting his new film, and he said practical effects and a different approach to action will guide the prequel’s tone.
What Helander said
Helander spoke about the Rambo prequel while in Austin for the 2025 Fantastic Fest. He said he doubts current de‑aging tools can convincingly make a 79‑year‑old actor look like a teenager: “I’m not sure the technology is there yet to pull that off.”
Moreover, Helander explained his general approach to action movies. He prefers practical effects when possible: “Of course when it’s totally impossible to do something practical, you need to go CG,” and added, “But I like to do as much as possible practically.” He also emphasized entertainment value, saying, “[A movie] has to be entertaining,” and that cinema should let audiences “be free of all kinds of rules and laws — especially laws of physics.”
Stallone and the AI pitch
Sylvester Stallone recently said he wanted to revive John Rambo in an origin story and play the teenage Rambo himself using de‑aging AI. Stallone mentioned this in interviews with Screen Rant and on The Playlist’s Bingeworthy podcast, saying, “It isn’t a big stretch.”
However, Helander rejected that idea for the prequel he is directing, arguing the technology isn’t ready and that he plans a different route for the film’s presentation and action.
Cast, tone and effects
The project is a prequel titled John Rambo, produced by Millennium Media, and it has Noah Centineo cast in the lead role. Helander said the movie will likely be more restrained than some of his own over‑the‑top stunts, noting, “I’m pretty sure I’m not going that crazy in Rambo.”
At the same time, he left some creative options open: “It might be a bit weird — we’ll see. I have to find a new way to approach [the action in this movie]. What’s my Rambo movie going to look like? I don’t even know myself yet. It’s something that will happen when I’m shooting.”
Production notes and timeline
Helander is directing the prequel after finding a way into the character through an origin‑story idea. He said he had been asked many times about directing Rambo and had previously declined: “I was asked many times, do I want to do Rambo? And I always said no. But then we had the idea of actually doing the origin story. That made me realize that I could actually do it, that I have a way in. I’m always talking about Rambo. It’s weird that I’m going to do a Rambo film now.”
Outside of Rambo, Helander is promoting Sisu: Road to Revenge, a sequel to his 2022 film Sisu, which opens theatrically on Nov. 21. He also hinted at possible cameos or collaborations in the Rambo prequel but declined details: “I have an — I know what’s going to happen, but I can’t talk about it,” and added, “I would like to do something with Arnold Schwarzenegger, and I might do that. I have an idea.”
Further reading
Helander has previously discussed Rambo as an inspiration; for more on his influences, see his interview at RogerEbert.com.
