The movies that turned Sylvester Stallone into an action star are coming to Paramount+. The original Rambo trilogy will soon be made available to stream for subscribers.
Beginning Jan. 1, Paramount+ subscribers will be able to stream 1982’s First Blood, 1985’s Rambo: First Blood Part II, and 1988’s Rambo III. In the action franchise, Stallone stars as its title character, Vietnam War veteran John Rambo, who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and finds it difficult to readjust to normal life. Across the film series, Rambo uses the skills he acquired from serving in the military to fight corrupt police officers, enemy troops, and drug cartels.
The first Rambo movie, First Blood, based on David Morrell’s 1972 novel of the same name, was a major box-office hit, grossing $125.2 million against a $15 million budget. The movie also received positive reviews from critics. First Blood Part II was not as well-received as its predecessor, winning five Golden Raspberry Awards (including Worst Actor for Stallone), but was a larger commercial success, making just over $300 million on a $25 million budget. Rambo fever seemingly died off after First Blood Part II, as Rambo III made just $189 million worldwide against a then-recording-setting $63 million budget.
The franchise was revived 20 years after the release of Rambo III with Rambo, which was also directed by Stallone. Although initially believed to be the final installment in the series, a fifth movie, titled Rambo: Last Blood, was released in 2019.
Paramount+ Is Home to Stallone’s Newest Shows
Paramount+ is also the streaming home of Stallone’s two latest projects: the crime drama Tulsa King and the reality series The Family Stallone, the latter of which focuses on the daily exploits of Stallone, his wife, and their daughters. The former, which debuted on the streamer in November 2022, hails from creative visionary Taylor Sheridan, the mind behind Yellowstone and its many spinoffs.
Stallone headlines Tulsa King as Dwight “the General” Manfredi, an American Mafia caporegime from New York City who, after being released from prison, is sent to Tulsa, Oklahoma to set up a criminal organization. The series also stars Andrea Savage, Martin Starr, Jay Will, Max Casella, Domenick Lombardozzi, Vincent Piazza, Garrett Hedlund, Dana Delany, Annabella Sciorra, Neal McDonough, and Frank Grillo.
Tulsa King has so far aired two seasons, with the most recent concluding this past November. Two more seasons are reportedly close to being greenlit, with Stallone currently finalizing a new deal that would put the show on track for a two-season renewal. The deal will come with a pay raise for Stallone, putting him up from the $1.5 million per episode he’d earned for Season 2 (which was also up from Season 1’s $750,000 per episode).
The first three Rambo movies arrive on Paramount+ on Jan. 1, 2025.