Had it not been for two immigrants, the action movie often cited as one of the “greatest” of all time might never have been made. When you think of which action films are the best, there’s a lot that certainly comes to mind. Die Hard, Mad Max, and The Terminator are definitely favorites of many, but some believe a Sylvester Stallone classic tops them all. Yes, we’re talking about the 1982 action great, First Blood, which is now available on two different streaming services.
The road to getting First Blood made was fraught with challenges. Based on the 1972 novel by David Morrell, the rights to make a feature film were first snatched up by Columbia Pictures that same year. For various reasons, the project never got going, which allowed Warner Bros. to come in and swoop up the rights a little later. Over the next few years, different writers took a crack at the screenplay, and stars such as Robert De Niro, Clint Eastwood, and Kris Kristofferson were considered for the lead role. Again, the film lingered in development hell, and it wasn’t until the late 70s when two immigrants came along to shock First Blood back to life.
With Warner Bros. at their wits end, they sold the rights to First Blood to the newly-minted company, Carolco Pictures, which was founded by Mario Kassar and Andrew G. Vajna in 1976. Kassar was born in Beirut, Lebanon, and Vajna in Budapest, Hungary. The former came to America in his late teens/early 20s, while the latter immigrated here by himself when he was just 12 years old.
The duo were partners with Anabasis Investments at the time they read First Blood, which they thought would make an excellent movie. As such, they purchased the rights from Warner Bros., and brought in Ted Kotcheff, a Canadian, to direct the picture. Stallone was hired, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Mario Kassar and Andrew G. Vajna Brought a Unique Perspective to ‘First Blood’
Under the guidance of American producers, First Blood would have looked a lot different. When the project was at Columbia Pictures, the ending, like in the novel, would have featured the death of John Rambo. The same thing would have happened at Warner Bros., who saw the movie as a critique on military culture, and had Colonel Trautman portraying the villain rather than Sheriff Will Teasle, who would eventually be played by Brian Dennehy.
Kassar and Vajna brought another perspective to things, as the pair were more interested in producing a high-concept action thriller with mass appeal instead of a grim and gritty downbeat tale. They saw John Rambo as a symbol of isolation and survival. An archetype that everyone the world over could connect with. They wanted a spectacle, and with Stallone on board, they got their wish.
Not only did Rambo live to become the symbol of American heroism, but First Blood went from being a bleak and raw psychological study to something that would help write the blueprint for all action movies to follow. If you’re in the mood to rediscover the 1982 action classic this weekend, it’s now streaming on both MGM+ and Paramount+.