Sylvester Stallone Earned Less Than $2000 Per Day For the Most Crucial Hit of His Career

Sylvester Stallone received an incredibly low amount of money for a very important movie in his career

Sylvester Stallone Earned Less Than $2000 Per Day For the Most Crucial Hit of His Career

SUMMARY

  • Sylvester Stallone remains one of the biggest actors in the history of Hollywood.
  • He got his big break thanks to Rocky and the rest was history.
  • Despite its major success in the future, Stallone only got a meagre amount of money for the first Rock movie.
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Sylvester Stallone is undoubtedly one of the biggest names in the history of Hollywood, as he was truly the king when it came to action and drama movies in the 70s and 80s. This is mostly because of his iconic roles in films such as the Rambo and Rocky franchises.

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Sylvester Stallone has defined many generations of stars as well as movies, as the iconic Hollywood legend has made sure people continue to revere him for his contributions to the world of Cinema in his long and illustrious career.

Also read: Sylvester Stallone’s Billion Dollar Hit Franchise Started From the Budget of a Toothpaste Commercial

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Sylvester Stallone looking on
Sylvester Stallone in Rocky

Sylvester Stallone Earned Shockingly Low Pay For His Most Important Film

Sylvester Stallone’s financial journey with the Rocky franchise is an excellent indication of his own star power as well as the growth of the franchise itself. After all, the franchise started from a very modest and low-tier budget before becoming the juggernaut it is today – birthing spinoffs, games, and more.

Stallone’s connection with the character of Rocky Balboa began with the 1976 film Rocky, where he played the lead as well as wrote the screenplay. According to Variety, Stallone agreed to a meager $35,000 for the 25-day shoot, which means he actually earned less than $2,000 per day – something that can’t be fathomed right now. Nonetheless, he was determined to do the movie as it is evident he had major goals with the franchise.

Also read: “Arnold is a genius”: Even During Their Peak Rivalry Sylvester Stallone Had to Bow Down to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 3 Successful Careers

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Sylvester Stallone tired
Sylvester Stallone in a scene from Rocky

How Much Sylvester Stallone Earned For The Entire Rocky Franchise

It has already been established that Sylvester Stallone earned a paltry sum for the first Rocky movie, but that doesn’t mean it stayed that way for the sequels. As the franchise gained momentum, so did Stallone’s compensation for each iteration.

According to Variety, his earnings increased with each installment, with Rocky II (1979) bringing in $75,000 and Rocky III (1982) increasing that to $120,000. According to Cheatsheet, Stallone’s salary reached an impressive $15 million by the time he starred in Rocky V.

Sylvester Stallone with kid
Sylvester Stallone in Rocky V

Considering backend percentages, net points, and the ongoing success of the Creed films, Stallone’s earnings from the entire franchise have soared to an incredible level. No specific breakdown of his earnings is there as they vary, but all of his film earnings and other ventures helped him reach a net worth of an estimated $400 million – which is definitely incredible. Therefore, Stallone is more than happy he banked on the success of Rocky back in the late 70s.

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Also read: Only The Rock & Jackie Chan Can Save $840M Sylvester Stallone Franchise from Going Down Under

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Written by Subhojeet Mookherjee

Articles Published: 499

Subhojeet Mookherjee is a Freelance Entertainment Writer for FandomWire. A lover and expert in all things movies, games, TV shows, music and more. I've been in the writing business for over five years now, covering various topics all over the world. I love engaging in deep conversations with like-minded people.