James Franco To Make Hollywood Comeback With John Rambo Prequel Movie Starring Noah Centineo

The

cast of John Rambo has added James Franco to its roster. The prequel action film, with Noah Centineo in the lead, features Franco in the role of an antagonist. The actor took a hiatus from the studio system after he was accused of sexual harassment by his students from his acting school in 2021. He was spotted at the 79th Cannes Film Festival, where he attended a few premieres, including Jordan Firstman's Club Kid. With John Rambo, Franco is attempting to slowly make his way back into the limelight.

James Franco joins John Rambo cast

As per Variety, Franco has a small role as a villain. The Recruit star Noah Centineo is playing Rambo and Stranger Things actor David Harbour plays Rambo’s commanding officer, Major Trautman. The new film, which is likely to be released in 2027, takes place before First Blood (1982), which first introduced Sylvester Stallone as the character in the action franchise.

Directed by Jalmari Helander, John Rambo has completed filming in Thailand. Other cast members include Sinners actor Yao, Jason Tobin, Quincy Isaiah, Jefferson White and The White Lotus Season 3 star Tayme Thapthimthong. Produced by Lionsgate, Millennium Media, Templeton Media, and AGBO, John Rambo is written by Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani. Avengers: Doomsday directors Anthony and Joe Russo are executive producers, as is original star Stallone.

More about James Franco's sexual misconduct scandal

The 127 Hours actor has been persona non grata since 2019, when the allegations of inappropriate behaviour and abuse of power from around five aspiring actresses at his acting school, Studio 4, emerged. The school has now closed down. Franco denied the accusations but shared that the women brought up important issues. The legal case was settled in 2021, with Franco paying out over $2.2 million to resolve the disputes; both students agreed to drop their individual claims.

James Franco's upcoming projects

In the last few years, Franco has been a part of European productions such as The Price of Money: A Largo Winch Adventure, Hey Joe, and Squall. He is also playing Fidel Castro in the upcoming film Castro's Daughter and directing the indie film The Long Home. The films Golden State Killer, Kill the Czar, The Razor's Edge and Foster are also lined up for release.The Disaster Artist was his last big film in 2017; he won a Golden Globe Award for his performance. John Rambo will be his first studio film in a decade.