Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsEmmysHoliday PicksMAMISTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Biography
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

David Morrell(I)

  • Writer
  • Actor
  • Producer
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
David Morrell
David Morrell was born in 1943, shortly after his father was killed in action. His mother could not both raise him and have a job, so David was sent to an orphange. He went to Pennsylvania State University from 1966-70, where he was inspired by his teacher, writer William Tenn. In 1972 he wrote Taistelija (1982), which later became the legendary movie introducing John Rambo played by Sylvester Stallone in 1982. He was a professor of American literature at the University of Iowa and taught from 1970 to 1986, where he resigned. In 1987 he lost his 15 year old son Matthew because of bone cancer. He left Iowa and today he lives with his wife and daughter in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He has written several novels and First Blood is probably the most famous.
BornApril 24, 1943
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
BornApril 24, 1943
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • View contact info at IMDbPro

Photos13

David Morrell in Taistelija (1982)
Sylvester Stallone and David Morrell in Taistelija (1982)
Sylvester Stallone and David Morrell in Taistelija (1982)
Sylvester Stallone and David Morrell in Taistelija (1982)
Sylvester Stallone and David Morrell in Taistelija (1982)
Alf Humphreys and David Morrell in Taistelija (1982)
Brian Dennehy and David Morrell in Taistelija (1982)
Sylvester Stallone, Richard Crenna, and David Morrell in Taistelija (1982)
Sylvester Stallone and David Morrell in Taistelija (1982)
Sylvester Stallone and David Morrell in Taistelija (1982)
Richard Crenna and David Morrell in Taistelija (1982)
Sylvester Stallone and David Morrell in Taistelija (1982)

Known for:

Sylvester Stallone in Taistelija (1982)
Taistelija
7.7
  • Writer
  • 1982
Sylvester Stallone in Rambo - taistelija 2 (1985)
Rambo - taistelija 2
6.5
  • Writer
  • 1985
Sylvester Stallone in Rambo (2008)
Rambo
7.0
  • Writer
  • 2008
Sylvester Stallone in Rambo: Last Blood (2019)
Rambo: Last Blood
6.1
  • Writer
  • 2019

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Writer

  • Rambo: New Blood
    • characters
    • In Development
  • Do Not Enter
    • book
    • Post-production
  • Lloyd Ahlquist and Peter Shukoff in Epic Rap Battles of History (2010)
    Epic Rap Battles of History
    8.1
    TV Series
    • John Rambo created by
    • 2021
  • Sylvester Stallone in Rambo: Last Blood (2019)
    Rambo: Last Blood
    6.1
    • based on the character created by
    • 2019
  • Ed Boon and Ron Yuan in Mortal Kombat 11 (2019)
    Mortal Kombat 11
    7.9
    Video Game
    • character created by: John Rambo
    • 2019
  • First Blood: Humorous Ending (2014)
    First Blood: Humorous Ending
    7.9
    Video
    • based on the novel by
    • 2014
  • First Blood: Alternate Ending (2014)
    First Blood: Alternate Ending
    7.7
    Video
    • based on the novel by
    • 2014
  • First Blood: Deleted Scenes: Dream in Saigon (2014)
    First Blood: Deleted Scenes: Dream in Saigon
    7.5
    Video
    • based on the novel by
    • 2014
  • Rambone XXX: A DreamZone Parody
    6.5
    Video
    • characters
    • 2013
  • Rambo III
    Rambo III
    Video
    • author
  • Rambo: First Blood Part II
    Rambo: First Blood Part II
    Video
    • author
  • First Blood
    First Blood
    Video
    • author
  • The Naked Edge
    The Naked Edge
    Video
    • author
  • Rambo: Extended Cut Scenes (2010)
    Rambo: Extended Cut Scenes
    7.5
    Video
    • character
    • 2010
  • Rambo: Deleted Scenes (2008)
    Rambo: Deleted Scenes
    7.1
    Video
    • character
    • 2008
  • The Brotherhood of the Rose
    The Brotherhood of the Rose
    Video
    • author
  • Rambo (2008)
    Rambo
    6.0
    Video Game
    • characters (uncredited)
    • 2008

Actor

  • The Towering Inferno: The Writer, Stirling Silliphant
    7.4
    Video
    • 2006

Producer

  • Sylvester Stallone in Rambo (2008)
    Rambo
    7.0
    • associate producer (uncredited)
    • 2008
  • In-development projects at IMDbPro

Personal details

Edit
  • Official sites
    • Facebook
    • Google+
  • Born
    • April 24, 1943
    • Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
  • Other works
    Article: "The Man Who Created Rambo", "Playboy" (USA), August 1988, p. 88-89+134-137.
  • Publicity listings
    • 1 Interview
    • 1 Article

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    David Morrell actually wrote Taistelija (1982) at the same time he was writing his dissertation on American literature, and submitted both at the same time. When his agent called to tell him of the sale, Morrell actually thought he was talking about his dissertation being accepted.
  • Quotes
    The first scripts [for Rambo - taistelija 3 (1988)) I saw were excellent, particular the character of a fortyish female French physician who takes care of Afghan children injured during the war. The story had an epical RAMBO OF ARABIA feel. But for budgetary and other reasons, the scripts got simpler until the released film felt like a cartoon. One of the subtexts I added was that the Soviet War with Afghanistan was a version of America's involvement in Vietnam, with similar fracturing effects to each country's veterans and culture.

Related news

Contribute to this page

Suggest an edit or add missing content
  • Learn more about contributing
Edit page

More to explore

Production art
Photos
Perfect Hollywood Pairs
See the gallery
Poster
List
TV Tracker: Renewed and Canceled Shows
Check the status

Add demo reel with IMDbPro

Demo reel thumbnail
Make your IMDb page stand out by adding a demo reel
Upload your demo reel

Add demo reel with IMDbPro

Make your IMDb page stand out by adding a demo reel
Upload your demo reel
Demo reel thumbnail

How much have you seen?

Keep track of how much of David Morrell’s work you have seen. Go to your list.
Poster
List
Hannah P's Picks: 'Saltburn,' "Fargo," and More
See her picks

Recently viewed

Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
Get the IMDb App
Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
  • Get the IMDb App
  • Help
  • Site Index
  • IMDbPro
  • Box Office Mojo
  • IMDb Developer
  • Press Room
  • Advertising
  • Jobs
  • Conditions of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Your Ads Privacy Choices
IMDb, an Amazon company

© 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.