David Harbour, the Golden Globe-nominated actor known for Stranger Things, has joined the cast of John Rambo, Lionsgate‘s origin story prequel to the Rambo franchise. Harbour will play Major Trautman, the commanding officer of the titular soldier played by Noah Centineo.
Director Jalmari Helander is helming the film from a screenplay by Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvan. John Rambo is set before the events of First Blood (1982), exploring the military background and formative experiences that shaped the character Sylvester Stallone first brought to screens four decades ago.
Trautman’s place in the John Rambo story
In the original trilogy, Richard Crenna played Colonel Sam Trautman, Rambo’s Vietnam-era commanding officer and closest ally. Crenna appeared in First Blood (1982), Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985), and Rambo III (1988). He died in 2003, and the Trautman character was absent from Stallone’s subsequent entries, Rambo (2008) and Rambo: Last Blood (2019).
Harbour’s version carries the rank of Major rather than Colonel, consistent with a story set earlier in the timeline, before the events that defined Rambo’s relationship with his commanding officer in the original film.
Stallone joins John Rambo as executive producer
Stallone, who co-wrote all five earlier Rambo films in addition to starring in them, signed on as executive producer last month. The production is currently filming in Bangkok, Thailand. His participation gives the reimagined franchise a direct tie to its origins even as Centineo steps into the title role.
John Rambo is based on David Morrell‘s 1972 novel, the source material that launched the original franchise and continued across four sequels through 2019.
Full cast and production
The supporting ensemble includes 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).
Producers on John Rambo include Kevin King Templeton, Les Weldon, and Jonathan Yunger for Millennium Media, alongside Angela Russo-Otstot and Michael Disco for AGBO. Executive producers include Anthony and Joe Russo, Trevor Short, and Dallas Sonnier and Amanda Presmyk for Bonfire Legend, alongside Stallone. The film is a joint production between Lionsgate, Millennium Media, Templeton Media, and AGBO, with Lionsgate handling distribution.