Sylvester Stallone Scraps Plans for a Fifth Rambo Movie
Posted 05.03.10 by BrentJS
Though not a tremendous hit at the domestic box office, Sylvester Stallone's 2008 Rambo earned enough when taking into account international ticket sales that a fifth movie in the franchise that began with First Blood in 1982 seemed like a distinct possibility. In fact, Stallone spoke several times about his plans for a Rambo 5, initially saying that the plot would revolve around human traffickers, then announcing that the franchise would get a sci-fi angle by having Rambo fight a "feral beast." Then, Stallone announced that the "man/beast" story would become a different movie, with a different protagonist, and that Rambo 5 would go back to the original plot. Now, however, it appears that plans for Rambo 5 have been scrapped and the title hero's days of fighting the good fight are behind him.
In a recent interview with Empire, the 63-year-old actor-writer-director announced that he is "99% sure" that "Rambo's pretty well done" and that he didn't "think there'll be any more."
I was going to do it. I said I'd never talk about this, but with—I feel that with Rocky Balboa, that character came complete circle. He went home. But for Rambo to go on another adventure might be, I think, misinterpreted as a mercenary gesture and not necessary. I don't want that to happen.
I'm very happy with the last Burmese episode, because I didn't pull any punches on it. I wanted it to be what civil war really is—rough. You can't candy coat it, and where do you go from there? So that's [Rambo V] going to go.
Stallone hasn't completely abandoned one of his signature characters, however. He told Empire that he is currently at work on a director's cut of Rambo that will add twelve minutes to the movie.
He does a speech at the beginning of the movie to Julie Benz where he lays out why his life has been a complete disappointment and why war is natural and peace is an accident. And how he just feels that his life has been a waste. It's very important to hear that and I didn't think so at the time. I'm going to go back and put in some stuff.
So long, John Rambo. Somewhere, "Taps" is playing for you.
Next Showing: Stallone's next movie,
The Expendables, opens August 13