Nothing is over: 40 years after First Blood, Rambo lives on in Hope, B.C.

In a famous scene from the 1982 filmFirst Blood, protagonist John Rambo, played by Sylvester Stallone, finds himself surrounded by police and soldiersin the fictional small town of Hope, Wash.

Rambo'sformer commander, Col. Sam Trautman, tries to convince the troubled Vietnam War veteran to surrender before it's too late.

"It's over, Johnny. It's over," Trautman, played by Richard Crenna, tells Rambo.

"Nothing is over!" Rambo shouts. "Nothing!"

Decades later, the love affair between First Blood and the B.C. town where it was filmed isdefinitely notover.

WATCH | Residents, visitors celebrate Rambo in Hope, B.C.

B.C. town celebrates connection to Rambo

2 years ago

Duration 3:25

The town of Hope, B.C. served as the fictional setting for the first Rambo film. First Blood was released 40 years ago this month, and the town is going all-out to mark the occasion. The CBC's Liam Britten was there.

Fans of the film are expected to flockto Hope, B.C.,about 150 kilometres east of Vancouver,this weekend to honour the 40th anniversary of the film's release.

Activities include askateboard competition, a showing of Rambo-related art, and a three-hour walking tour of locations where the film was shot. A tank is expected to roll over a number of cars onthe town's main street onSunday.

While First Bloodfeatures standard action movies tropes gunfights, exploding gas stations it also touches on more serious issues, such as post-traumatic stress disorderand the United States' role in the Vietnam War.

The film, which became an international smashand spawned several sequels, hasCanadian roots. It was directed by Canadian Ted Kotcheff and adapted from a novel written by Canadian authorDavid Morrell, who blastedthe most recent Rambo sequel 2019's Rambo: Last Blood calling it "a mess" and saying he was "embarrassed to have my name associated with it."

The bulk of First Blood was filmed in Hope, something that has become a point of pride for residents.

A large wooden statue of Rambo stands in the middle of town. Ryan Villiers, who carved the statue, is back for the anniversary to create another carving.

"Hope is the culture of Rambo," he said. "It's pretty insane to see ... the legacy lives on."

Tracy Paynter with the Hope Visitor Centre and co-organizer of the First Blood eventestimates around 15,000 people come to Hopeeach year because of First Blood.

"It's important not just to the people of Hope but to the fans all over the world," she said. "They're theones who keep this movie aliveand they keep coming back to this town because they love the movie, they love this town."

Day 66:3937 years after John Rambo's debut, First Blood is still big business in Hope, B.C.

Sylvester Stallone's Rambo: Last Blood opened in theatres on Friday. Meanwhile, Hope, B.C., the town where the series' first film was shot, is still dining out on First Blood.

Film crews spent around $1 million locally to make the film, which was great for Hope's economy at the time, and also for B.C.'s.film industry. Decades later, film productionsgenerated$4.8 billion in direct spending for the province's economy last year, according to the Vancouver Economic Commission.

"This was kind of the birthplace of Hollywood North," Paynter said. "After First Blood, the rest just followed."