The Associated Press got word from Wanasiri Morakul, director of the Thailand Film Office, that Rambo IV: In the Serpent’s Eye is set to begin shooting in the Thailand’s lush, mountainous northern provinces for several weeks in Thailand early next year.
The fourth film in the Rambo franchise finds John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) pulled out of retirement in Bangkok to help find missionary aid workers who disappear as they’re delivering supplies to ethnic minorities in neighboring Myanmar.
The report goes on to say that about 70 to 80 percent of the movie will be shot in Thailand — in Bangkok and the northern provinces of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai — earning Thailand more than 200 million baht (US$5 million, £4 million).
There were, however, a few cautionary signs as Wanasiri told the AP, “Some scenes might be a little bit violent, so we asked them not to make it too violent because if we say that the ethnic minorities are violent, it might be inappropriate… We did not forbid them — we just asked them to be careful.”
Finally they asked to be assured that any bombing scenes — “in that Rambo style” — would not harm the environment.
There is also mention that Denzel Washington will be heading to Thailand to shoot a small portion of American Gangster a film in which Washington stars opposite Russell Crowe for director Ridley Scott. The pic centers on Harlem drug kingpin Frank Lucas (Washington), who smuggled heroin in the body bags of U.S. soldiers slain in Vietnam. Brolin plays Det. Trupo, a crooked NYPD cop who piggybacks on the Lucas investigation conducted by Det. Ritchie Roberts (Crowe).
American Gangster‘s Thailand shoot is scheduled to run Nov. 8-13. Gangster is expecting a November 2, 2007 release from Universal Pictures while Rambo IV is currently without a release date.
