Stallone’s Missionary Positioning

Several weeks ago, I wrote about author David Morrell, mentioning in that same item that, on the heels of Sylvester Stallone’s cinematic revitalization of underdog boxer Rocky Balboa (in the appropriately titled Rocky Balboa), he’s going to resurrect Morrell’s John Rambo (last seen in 1998’s Rambo III). The UK’s Telegraph now has more details on that latter project:

Sylvester Stallone was ready for all the jokes when he decided to bring his Rocky Balboa and Rambo characters out of retirement. After all, Stallone is now 60. Rocky has been around for 30 years and Rambo for 24. All three have seen better days, but the actor-writer-director believes the time is right for them to have another tilt at glory. ...

Rambo IV: Pearl of the Cobra [notice the title change] sees John Rambo living as a recluse in the U.S. until a young girl goes missing. He abandons his quiet lifestyle and finds himself fighting to save a group of kidnapped Christian missionaries and at the same time battling those responsible for human rights atrocities in Burma.

“It’s about an older man who is living this very, very simple life, but no matter where we hide, eventually life catches up.”

Rambo IV is slated for release in late 2007, or early 2008.