Sylvester Stallone turned down ridiculous ‘Rambo’ payday: ‘What an idiot’

Sylvester Stallone shot down more Zeros than John Rambo shot down enemy forces.

Stallone starred as a Vietnam War veteran in five films. His original film, First Blood, was a critical and commercial darling, and his two subsequent sequels were less than well received.

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In a new interview, Stallone revealed that he was offered ‘Rambo IV’ before ‘Rambo III’ was released. He turned down the offer and received a whopping $34 million before the studio realized they couldn’t recommend a fourth film.

‘I turned down 34,’ Stallone said recently hollywood reporter“I was doing Rambo III. I thought it was going to be the biggest hit, but this was before it came out. And I got paid a lot for it.

“Then they want ‘Rambo IV.’ Here it is: Pay or play, 34. I said, ‘Don’t fly the guns here…'”

It dates back to the 1980s. Adjusting for inflation, his current $34 million is about $85 million.

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“Really. No kidding,” Stallone said. “Oh, what an idiot. Now I think about it and… wow.”

Stallone eventually reunited with John Rambo for the 2008 film Rambo and 2019’s Rambo: Last Blood on the 20th anniversary of ‘Rambo III’.