For shooting Rambo (2008), Sylvester Stallone decided to film in Burma and that led to some very serious experiences.
Long before actors were busy claiming franchises and filmmakers were busy shaping many, Sylvester Stallone was teaching the kids how it was done. The man first introduced us to Rocky, and we were all sold, joining him on his journey. Right when the franchise was at its peak, Stallone chose to participate in another and make it a massive success. We are talking about Rambo. A gritty character who was not your quintessential hero but much more than that. The action star has only received immense love for his character and continues to, as many actors call him their inspiration and rightly so. But did you know that Sylvester even received death threats while shooting for Rambo once?
Sylvester Stallone Once Received Life Threats
Well, the trivia caught us off guard too. In 2008, the makers of the franchise were working on the fourth film, simply titled Rambo. The actor went to a land so sensitive to make the most robust of the Rambo movies with his team and while he was hell-bent on shooting there to bring the spotlight to the landscape, he ended up receiving death threats. Read on to learn more about this most shocking throwback of the day.
Burma, also known as Myanmar, is a very sensitive zone. The country had been witnessing a civil war for a long time. The said civil war is called the longest civil war in history, and this is the same place where Sylvester Stallone and the team of Rambo (2008) chose to shoot their film. As per The Guardian, back in the day, Stallone was asked if he received any death threats while he was shooting for the film, and the actor was quick to say yes. He revealed how it was a very dangerous place, and the people didn’t want the movie to get made at all.
“I got them all the time,” Sylvester Stallone said. “It’s a very dangerous part of the world. A lot of people just disappear. They just didn’t want this film to be made; it’s an insidious civil war that has gone on for 60 years, and no one knows about it because they’ve been keeping it quiet.” The actor also added how he saw the atrocities of the civil war firsthand while shooting for Rambo in Burma.
“I witnessed the aftermath—survivors with legs cut off and all kinds of land mine injuries, maggot-infested wounds, and ears cut off. This is a hellhole beyond your wildest dreams. All the trails are mined. The only way into Burma is up the river.” But the actor also said that it was important to shoot the movie in the country to bring attention to it.
About Rambo
Directed by Sylvester Stallone himself, Rambo is about John Rambo, who joins a group of mercenaries in Thailand to rescue Christian aid workers who are kidnapped by the local ruthless infantry unit. For this, he has to enter the war-torn country of Burma, where a dystopian world awaits. The movie is now available to stream in India on Lionsgate Play, and you can watch it with your OTTplay Premium subscription too.