Trivia / Rambo IV

• Approval of God: When asked what his take on the film was, First Blood writer David Morrell said:
  "I'm happy to report that overall I'm pleased. The level of violence might not be for everyone, but it has a serious intent. This is the first time that the tone of my novel First Blood has been used in any of the movies. It's spot-on in terms of how I imagined the character — angry, burned-out, and filled with self-disgust because Rambo hates what he is and yet knows it's the only thing he does well. ... I think some elements could have been done better, [but] I think this film deserves a solid three stars".
• Banned in China: The film is banned in Burma/Myanmar and, unsurprisingly, is very popular among the Karen Rebels in the country. The film's catch phrase "Live for nothing or die for something" has actually become a rallying cry for the rebels.
• Channel Hop: The demise of Carolco Pictures led to this and Rambo: Last Blood being produced by Millennium and handled by Lionsgate.
• Directed by Cast Member: This is the only film in the series that Stallone directed.
• In Memoriam: This movie is dedicated to Richard Crenna, who played Col. Trautman, who passed away in 2003.
• Never Work with Children or Animals: Boars are known for their aggressive temperament. One of the boars on set got loose during filming and it took seven men to corral it.
• Refitted for Sequel: The Downer Ending of the original film in which Trautman shoots Rambo dead is used to great effect to end the Nightmare Sequence.
• Sequel Gap: The film was released twenty years after the third film.
• What Could Have Been:
  • James Brolin was attached to play the Col. Samuel Trautman role after Richard Crenna died of pancreatic cancer in 2003, but the role was written out of the script. Sylvester Stallone considers the character to have died on the same day as Crenna, who appears in an archival flashback. A scene was written, but not filmed, in which Rambo visits Trautman's grave.
  • During its long development process, this film went through a number of story premises. One unproduced script featured Rambo living a quiet life with wife and child, until white supremacists kidnap his family. Another found Rambo trying to stop a hostage situation at the United Nations, where he is working as a diplomat, when terrorists (including Rambo's adopted son) take control of the UN headquarters in New York.
  • One of the original plot ideas involved Rambo returning to Afghanistan and taking on the Taliban this time around.
  • At different points in script development, Luc Besson, Richard Donner, and James Mangold were considered to direct.
  • Vinnie Jones was considered for Lewis.
• Working Title: Rambo: To Hell and Back. This title would be used in some countries.

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