Hope Celebrates 25th Anniversary of First Blood

This came in the e-mail this week...

Hope Celebrates 25th Anniversary of First Blood

Over 25 years have passed since First Blood wrapped filming in Hope, British Columbia, Canada - but residents, local crew and Rambo enthusiasts agree it doesn't feel like a quarter century has passed. Back in 1981, British Columbia’s film industry was in itsinfancy when the Ministry of Tourism’s Film Promotion Office, helmed by Dianne Neufeld and Justis Greene, received a call from a production company interested in shooting First Blood, a $15 million action movie in B.C..

After scouting several different locations in BC, the producers found the exact look they had been searching for in the small town of Hope. Soon after, a crew of approximately 100 people (many of whom still work in the BC Film industry) began to transform the town of Hope into the birthplace of John Rambo. The Sheriff’s Office was constructed on the lawn of Hope’s District Hall, a gun shop and gas station were built and American flags, mailboxes, and US Army billboards were placed on downtown streets.

During the filming, the cast and crew had to deal with bitter cold, the theft of over 50 firearms needed for the movie, Stallone’s injuries and the escape of a wild boar on its way to set. Despite these challenges, First Blood, which was released on Friday October 22, 1982was a major box office success, earning a record breaking $14.8 million in the first 12 days of its release.

To mark the film’s 25th anniversary, the Hope Visitor Centre & Museum Complex (operated by Destination Hope & Beyond Services) is celebrating the occasion with a number of events and activities over the Canadian Thanksgiving long weekend, beginning October 5th. The anniversary celebration plans currently include a welcome reception at a Hope pub, the premiere of the REEL PLACES “First Blood” travelogue/documentary by Seattle’s Gas Light Alley Entertainment, film location tours, a Rambo look-a-like contest, an art competition, a pig roast dinner, and the publication of a souvenir “First Blood” booklet as a keepsake.

Anyone that would like to contribute stories, photos or trivia for the souvenir booklet is invited to send them to destinationhope@telus.net. Plus anyone that was involved in this film project is encouraged to take part in the events celebrating this pivotal BC film project.

For further information, please contact: Inge Wilson, Manager-Hope Visitor Centre & Museum Complex Phone: 604-869-2021 or 1-866-HOPEVIC or E-mail:destinationhope@telus.net