Sisu 2 Director Reveals Why Copying Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo Was a Mistake

Jalmari Helander almost took the obvious route with Sisu 2: slap on a red bandana and go full 80s mayhem. Then he stopped himself. Good call. Instead of doing a Rambo victory lap, he pivoted to something that actually pushes Aatami further without photocopying Stallone.

Helander hit pause on the Rambo playbook

The writer-director says his first instinct for the sequel was to chase that big, glossy 80s sequel energy. But the more he thought about it, the more it felt wrong for Sisu. He worried it would mess with what the first movie nailed rather than build on it. He also figured he might never make a sequel at all… until the right idea landed, and suddenly it clicked.

'I only wanted to make a sequel if I could truly believe that I could make it better than the first one,' Helander told Zavvi.

That meant dialing back the nostalgia cosplay and doubling down on the thing that makes Sisu work: Aatami being pushed to the edge, emotionally and physically, not just through bigger booms.

So what is Sisu: Road to Revenge actually about?

Aatami starts the sequel by going home — what is left of it, anyway. His place was obliterated in the war. He picks through the wreckage, tears it down piece by piece, loads it onto a truck, and heads off to rebuild somewhere safer as a tribute to his family. It is quiet, grim, and very Aatami.

Of course, that peace does not last. The man responsible for the destruction comes back to finish what he started. Big mistake.

From there, it turns into a cross-country pursuit that escalates from brutal to borderline illegal-looking. Expect grimy, clever fights and stunts that flirt with physics, all running on that classic Sisu fuel where you are not totally sure if Aatami is powered by rage, grief, or pure mule-headed survival. With a bigger budget and Helander embracing the chaos, this one is absolutely aiming to top the first in the 'did he really just do that?' department.

The ironic twist: he is making an official Rambo prequel next

After deciding not to Rambo-ify Sisu 2, Helander is now doing the real thing. He is prepping an official Rambo prequel in Bangkok, with cameras planned to roll at the beginning of 2026. He called it a full circle moment, and honestly, it is kind of perfect.

'It is unbelievable to be in a position where I am about to shoot my own Rambo film. It is great to be trusted to bring an action hero back to the screen,' he told Zavvi.

He also could not resist poking the bear: 'Rambo should consider himself lucky that he was not around at the same time as him…' Aatami vs. John would be one for the ages, but I get the feeling he is not joking.

Quick hits

• Title: Sisu: Road to Revenge (aka Sisu 2)
• Writer-director: Jalmari Helander
• Focus: push Aatami further emotionally and physically, not a carbon-copy 80s sequel
• Plot spark: Aatami returns to his war-ruined home, tries to rebuild, and the man behind the devastation comes back for him
• Scale: bigger budget, bigger set pieces, nastier stunts
• Release date: November 21, 2025 (theatrical)
• Next up for Helander: an official Rambo prequel, prepping in Bangkok, aiming to shoot early 2026

Sisu: Road to Revenge hits theaters November 21, 2025. Bigger stakes, bigger explosions, same unkillable Aatami. I am in.