Is the James Franco comeback on? Franco has been away from movies for nearly a decade after he admitted to sleeping with some of the female students in his acting classes. He paid $2.2 million in damages and stepped away from the limelight. Quite the fall for a promising young actor who was nominated for best actor at the Oscars in 2011 for his starring role in 127 Hours, directed by Danny Boyle.
He had a small, uncredited cameo in Alien: Covenant in 2017, and was part of the ensemble of The Ballad of Buster Scruggs back in 2018, but he has been largely absent. Now he is back with a role in the new John Rambo movie.
According to a report in Variety, Franco will only have a small role.
Shot in Thailand from January through to March this year, John Rambo sees Noah Centineo (The Recruit, Black Adam, Street Fighter) take on the role of the digestive champion of billy goats, and Olympic-standard PTSD sufferer. The story is set during the Vietnam War, years before the events of First Blood.
No doubt it will show Rambo’s first meeting with Major Sam Trautman, to be played by David Harbour. Co-stars include Yao, Jason Tobin, Quincy Isaiah, Jefferson White, and Tayme Thapthimthong.
Sisu director Jalmari Helander is behind the camera, working from a script by Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani (The Mauritanian). Sylvester Stallone, Anthony Russo, and Joe Russo executive produce.
48-year-old Franco is at the Cannes Film Festival right now, so he may be appearing in more movies as a result of deals made down there.
