James Franco to make return to Hollywood in 'Rambo' prequel

Anthony Thompson, USA TODAYSat, May 16, 2026 at 11:37 PM UTC

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Actor James Franco is returning to a major Hollywood franchise years after sexual misconduct allegations derailed his career, with the actor joining the cast of the upcoming prequel film "John Rambo", according to reports from Variety and Entertainment Weekly.

Franco has a small role in the film, which stars Noah Centineo as a young John Rambo and David Harbour as Major Trautman, Rambo’s commanding officer. The movie recently wrapped production in Thailand.

Directed by Jalmari Helander, best known for "Sisu," the film serves as an origin story set before 1982’s "First Blood," which launched the blockbuster Rambo franchise starring Sylvester Stallone.

The cast also includes Yao, Jason Tobin, Quincy Isaiah, Jefferson White and Tayme Thapthimthong.

Franco hints at first studio blockbuster in years

While attending the 2026 Cannes Film Festival with longtime girlfriend Izabel Pakzad, Franco told Deadline he had recently completed work on a “big studio movie,” which he described as his first blockbuster project in nearly a decade.

“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.

Variety and Entertainment Weekly later confirmed the project was “John Rambo,” marking Franco’s first major franchise appearance since his brief role in "Alien: Covenant".

Franco rejected suggestions that he has been absent from the industry in recent years, telling Deadline he has attended Cannes regularly while developing and selling independent projects.

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“It’s not true I’ve been hiding out,” Franco said. “I’ve been here the last three or four years running, selling things.”

US actor James Franco and US actress Isabel Pakzad arrive for the Opening Ceremony and the screening of the film "La Venus electrique" (The Electric Kiss) at the 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 12, 2026. (Photo by Valery HACHE / AFP via Getty Images)Career slowed after misconduct allegations

Franco’s mainstream Hollywood career largely stalled after multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct and inappropriate behavior, Los Angeles Times reported in 2018. Two former acting students later sued Franco, alleging exploitative conduct at his now-closed Studio 4 acting school. The lawsuit was settled in 2021 for $2.2 million.

Franco denied many of the allegations but later acknowledged he had relationships with students and said he needed to reflect on his behavior.

“In 2018, there were some complaints about me and an article about me, and at that moment I just thought, ‘I’m gonna be quiet. I’m gonna pause,’” Franco said during a 2021 appearance on SiriusXM’s “The Jess Cagle Podcast.”

Following the controversy, Franco stepped away from acting for several years before resurfacing in smaller independent and international productions, including "The Price of Money: A Largo Winch Adventure" and "Hey Joe."

Fallout with Seth Rogen

Franco has also publicly discussed the collapse of his longtime friendship with frequent collaborator Seth Rogen. The pair starred together in projects including "Freaks and Geeks," "Pineapple Express" and "This Is the End."

In a 2024 interview with Variety, Franco said he and Rogen no longer speak. “I love Seth, we had 20 great years together, but I guess it’s over,” Franco said.

Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@usatodayco.com, or on Twitter @athompsonUSAT

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: James Franco joins ‘Rambo’ prequel amid Hollywood comeback

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