## Sylvester Stallone Discusses AI "Rambo" Pitch, Memoir, and "Rocky" Film **News Title:** Sylvester Stallone Says He Wanted To Direct A Young ‘Rambo’ Movie Himself As An AI Movie, Talks New Memoir **Report Provider:** The Playlist **Author:** Rodrigo Perez **Date Published:** September 18, 2025 **Key Findings and Conclusions:** Sylvester Stallone, while not directly involved in upcoming projects related to his iconic characters, has shared his thoughts and revealed past ambitions. He expressed surprise and a lack of involvement in Peter Farrelly's upcoming "Rocky" making-of drama, "I Play Rocky." Stallone is currently writing his own memoir, titled "The Steps," which will detail his journey to Hollywood. The most significant revelation is Stallone's past pitch for an AI-driven "Rambo" prequel. He envisioned using sophisticated AI technology to de-age himself to his younger, Vietnam-era self, believing it would be a more convincing approach than recasting the role. He recalled that his AI pitch was met with skepticism, with people considering him "crazy." Stallone also commented on the inherent difficulty of taking over iconic roles, likening it to being "the son of Tarzan" or "The son of King Kong," and referencing his own experience with the remake of "Get Carter." **Critical Information and Details:** * **"Tulsa King" Renewal:** Stallone's Paramount+ series "Tulsa King" has been renewed for its fourth season. * **Memoir:** Stallone is writing a memoir titled "The Steps," which will cover his arrival in New York in 1969 and his rise to Oscar recognition. He hopes this memoir might offer insight into his experiences, potentially for projects he's not directly involved in. * **"I Play Rocky" Film:** Stallone was "shocked" to learn about Peter Farrelly's "Rocky" making-of drama and stated he has "zero to do with it." He was not consulted on the project, which already has a script and a lead actor, Anthony Ippolito. * **AI "Rambo" Prequel Pitch:** A few years ago, Stallone pitched a "Rambo" origin film that would have been an "AI experiment." * **AI Technology:** He believed AI technology was "sophisticated enough to go through Saigon to see him at 18 years old and basically use the same image," effectively de-aging him. * **Reasoning:** Stallone felt this approach was necessary because taking over the role of John Rambo is "very, very hard" and actors would struggle to overcome the audience's perception of the original. * **Current "Rambo" Origin Film:** A separate "Rambo" origin movie is already in development, set during the Vietnam War, with Noah Centineo attached and Jalmari Helander directing. Stallone's AI pitch was distinct from this current project. * **Stallone's Focus:** Stallone is currently focusing on his own storytelling through his memoir and the continuation of "Tulsa King." **Numerical Data and Tables:** * **"Tulsa King" Season:** Renewed for **season 4**. * **Memoir Title:** "The Steps." * **Stallone's Arrival in New York:** **1969**. **Significant Trends or Changes:** The news highlights a significant trend in Hollywood's exploration of AI for de-aging actors and creating new narratives around established characters. Stallone's AI pitch demonstrates an early and ambitious vision for leveraging this technology, even if it wasn't realized at the time. It also underscores the growing trend of studios moving forward with legacy projects without direct involvement from the original stars. **Notable Risks or Concerns:** * **Lack of Control:** Stallone's comments on "I Play Rocky" suggest a potential concern for actors regarding their legacy projects being developed without their input or creative control. * **Audience Prejudice:** Stallone's analogy of being "the son of Tarzan" or "The son of King Kong" points to the significant risk of audience prejudice and comparison when new actors take on beloved, iconic roles. **Material Financial Data:** No specific financial data or metrics were provided in this news excerpt. **Quotes:** * On "I Play Rocky": "I was shocked to read [about] it," he said, “I have zero to do with it.” * On his memoir: “Since I lived it, I thought I might be able to participate and give them some insight.” * On his AI "Rambo" pitch: “Everyone thought I was crazy.” * On AI de-aging: “AI is sophisticated enough to go through Saigon to see him at 18 years old and basically use the same image. So it isn’t as big a stretch.” * On the difficulty of recasting iconic roles: “It’s very, very hard. He may do a stellar job, but you’re overcoming this because I went through it with ‘Get Carter’. Everyone loves the original, and then you’re always fighting that prejudice,” he said, likening the challenge to being ‘the son of Tarzan’ or ‘The son of King Kong.’”
Sylvester Stallone Says He Wanted To Direct A Young ‘Rambo’ Movie Himself As An AI Movie, Talks New Memoir
Read original at The Playlist →Sylvester Stallone may not be steering some of the big upcoming projects tied to his legacy, but that doesn’t mean the Academy Award–nominated actor doesn’t have thoughts on them—or stories of his own to tell. In a new conversation on The Playlist’s Bingeworthy podcast about Stallone’s Paramount+ series “Tulsa King”—just renewed for season 4—the actor discussed a memoir he’s writing, his reaction to Peter Farrelly’s upcoming “Rocky” making-of drama, “I Play Rocky,” and revealed that he once pitched an AI-driven prequel for “Rambo” before the version currently in development took off.
Asked about Farrelly’s film, Stallone admitted he was blindsided. “I was shocked to read [about] it,” he said, “I have zero to do with it.” However, the actor/director added that his memoir, “The Steps,” which recounts his arrival in New York in 1969 and the long climb to the Oscars, might eventually allow him to provide some perspective: “Since I lived it, I thought I might be able to participate and give them some insight.
” READ MORE: Noah Centineo Circling ‘John Rambo’ Role In Vietnam War Origin Pic From ‘Sisu’ Director Jalmari Helander That might be wishful thinking, given that a script has already been written, Anthony Ippolito is already set to star, and Stallone wasn’t consulted. But the bigger reveal came when the conversation turned to the “Rambo” franchise.
A movie about the origin of “John Rambo” is already in the works, set during the Vietnam War with Noah Centineo attached and Jalmari Helander (“Sisu,” “Rare Exports”) directing. But Stallone disclosed that a few years ago, he had pitched doing the film himself, only as a full-on AI experiment. “Everyone thought I was crazy,” he recalled, explaining that the technology could have convincingly de-aged him back to his Vietnam-era youth.
“AI is sophisticated enough to go through Saigon to see him at 18 years old and basically use the same image. So it isn’t as big a stretch.” Stallone stressed that taking over the role is a near-impossible task for any actor. “It’s very, very hard. He may do a stellar job, but you’re overcoming this because I went through it with ‘Get Carter’.
Everyone loves the original, and then you’re always fighting that prejudice,” he said, likening the challenge to being ‘the son of Tarzan’ or ‘The son of King Kong.’” For now, Stallone is letting others tell the origin stories of “Rocky” and “Rambo,” while he continues to focus on his own. With “Tulsa King” charging into its fourth season on Paramount+ and “The Steps” on the horizon, Stallone is still finding ways to frame his myth—whether or not Hollywood ever catches up to his AI ambitions.
More from this conversation soon. — Additional reporting by Mike DeAngelo.
