James Franco cast in small role in John Rambo prequel

The upcoming action film prequel to John Rambo has reportedly added James Franco to the cast. Details about what may be the controversial actor’s first major studio role in years come from a report. Franco is joining the film in a "small role." Production on the movie in Thailand is said to have already wrapped.

James Franco’s career

James Franco is best known for appearances in major films such as the Spider-Man trilogy, The Disaster Artist, 127 Hours, and Pineapple Express. However, his career took a hit after allegations of sexual misconduct in 2018 from five women. Four of those women were students at his now-closed Studio 4 acting school.

Controversies and legal issues

The allegations led to a lawsuit in 2019, which was settled in 2021 for more than $2.2 million. Franco also admitted that year to sleeping with students and called his behavior "wrong." These events reduced his visibility in the film industry and damaged his long-running partnership with Seth Rogen.

New projects and future plans

Aside from a few smaller films, Franco stayed largely out of the spotlight for a long time. He recently spoke about plans for a "major studio film." During an interview at the Cannes Film Festival, he denied that he had disappeared from view: "It's not true that I've been hiding," he said. "I've been working hard these past three or four years, I'm selling things and they're treating me well."

Cast and crew of John Rambo

Franco joins Noah Centineo, who has been cast as a younger version of Sylvester Stallone’s character, John Rambo. David Harbour (Stranger Things) is also set to play Commanding Officer Major Trautman. Other cast members include Yao, Jason Tobin, Quincy Isaiah, Jefferson White, and Tayme Thapthimthong. Sisu filmmaker Jalmari Helander is directing the project. So far, no release date or detailed plot information has been revealed, other than that it will tell an origin story for the action icon.

The film John Rambo promises an intriguing look at the origins of the iconic character, despite the controversy surrounding the actors involved.