James Franco has secured his highest-profile Hollywood franchise role in years by joining the cast of the upcoming film "John Rambo," Entertainment Weekly reported on Wednesday.
The movie serves as a prequel to "First Blood" and stars Noah Centineo as the young Vietnam veteran originally portrayed by Sylvester Stallone.
>>> James Franco Joins Rambo Prequel Cast for Lionsgate Film
The casting announcement follows recent statements from the 48-year-old actor at the Cannes Film Festival.
Speaking to Deadline, Franco revealed he had completed filming for an unannounced major studio project expected to debut in late 2026 or 2027.
"It won't be ready for this summer, but my guess is it will be end of this year or spring-summer 2027," Franco said.
The project represents a shift back toward studio work for the actor, whose career slowed following sexual misconduct allegations.
Franco previously worked primarily in European-financed and independent films, but he dismissed the notion that he had been avoiding the public eye while attending the Cannes festival.
"I've been here the last three or four years running, selling things, and they treat me well, and I get to go and see great movies," Franco said.
When questioned about the fairness of his treatment in the industry, the actor focused on his current outlook rather than past controversies.
"I don't know. What am I going to do?
I just go forward and try to live a positive life," Franco said.
Prequel Details
According to Entertainment Weekly, the prequel is directed by Jalmari Helander and chronicles the origin story of the character before the events of the 1982 movie "First Blood."
Sylvester Stallone is serving as an executive producer for the project, which also features David Harbour, Yao, and Jason Tobin.
The movie marks the first major studio franchise appearance for Franco since a minor role in "Alien: Covenant" in 2017.
Five women accused the actor of sexual misconduct in 2018, with four being students at his now-defunct Studio 4 acting school, People reported.
Court documents from 2021 indicated that Franco and other defendants agreed to a settlement exceeding $2.2 million to resolve a lawsuit filed by two former students.
The agreement concluded the legal dispute without any admission of wrongdoing from the defendants.
Franco addressed the relationships during an appearance on "The Jess Cagle Show" in 2021.
>>> Morena Baccarin Cast as Sorceress in 'Masters of the Universe' Film
He acknowledged engaging in sexual relationships with students from his acting school, though he maintained that he believed the interactions were consensual at the time.
