. ▁Mac Donald ▁as ▁" one ▁hell ▁of ▁a ▁hard , ▁fast ▁novel ". ▁When ▁Stephen ▁King ▁taught ▁cre ative ▁writing ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Maine , ▁he ▁used ▁it ▁as ▁a ▁text book , ▁and ▁the ▁book ▁has ▁been ▁translated ▁into ▁ 2 6 ▁languages . ▁ ▁Film ▁adaptation ▁ ▁Cub an - Ital ian ▁actor ▁Tom as ▁Mil ian ▁read ▁First ▁Blood ▁soon ▁after ▁its ▁release ▁and ▁wanted ▁to ▁star ▁in ▁an ▁adaptation ▁of ▁it ; ▁however , ▁he ▁was ▁un success ful ▁in ▁persu ading ▁Italian ▁produ cers ▁to ▁support ▁the ▁project . ▁Still , ▁he ▁used ▁" R am bo " ▁as ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁his ▁character , ▁an ▁ex - cop , ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 5 ▁film ▁Sy nd icate ▁Sad ists . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 2 , ▁Mor rell ▁sold ▁the ▁film ▁rights ▁to ▁First ▁Blood ▁to ▁Columbia ▁Pictures , ▁who ▁in ▁turn ▁sold ▁them ▁to ▁Warner ▁B ros . ▁The ▁film ▁l angu ished ▁in ▁development ▁hell ▁for ▁ten ▁years , ▁with ▁the ▁story ▁passing ▁through ▁three ▁companies ▁and ▁eigh teen ▁screen plays . ▁Finally , ▁Andrew ▁G . ▁V aj na ▁and ▁Mario ▁K ass ar , ▁two ▁film ▁distrib utors ▁looking ▁to ▁become ▁produ cers , ▁obtained ▁the ▁film ▁rights . ▁Syl v ester ▁St all one ▁was ▁cast ▁in ▁the ▁lead ▁role , ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁star ▁power ▁he ▁had ▁from ▁the ▁films ▁Rock y ▁and ▁Rock y ▁II . ▁St all one ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁use