Sylvester Stallone is a Hollywood icon known for his intense performances and incredible physique. Stallone may enjoy the fame and tag for being one of the most iconic action stars, but the Rambo star was not a famous celeb in the initial years of his career. It wasn’t until 1976 that he truly made a name for himself. That year, he wrote and starred in the film Rocky, a rags-to-riches story about an underdog boxer who rises to fame and fortune.
Rocky over the years has become one of the most successful franchises. The franchise has given a lot to The Expendables star except for its rights. Stallone has created the Rocky franchise with passion and hard work, yet the celeb has zero ownership over the franchise. Stallone has been pretty vocal about the right issues and has stated that the conflict has infuriated him.
Sylvester Stallone Has Zero Ownership On His Rocky Franchise
The Rocky franchise is one of the most successful film franchises in Hollywood history. At the heart of this success is Sylvester Stallone, the man who created the character of Rocky Balboa and brought him to life on screen. Stallone’s powerful performances and compelling writing helped to make the Rocky franchise what it is today. Despite justifying multiple roles to make the franchise a success, the Rambo star has been devoid of any ownership. Sylvester Stallone revealed that despite asking he was given zero ownership of the franchise.
“I mentioned it a few times because after Rocky II came out and made a ton of money and then Rocky III hit and made more than all of them, I said I’d like to have some ownership since I invented it. And that never happened. So I have zero ownership of Rocky.”
Sylvester Stallone On Having No Rights On The Rocky Franchise
Sylvester Stallone revealed in an interview why he hesitated in demanding the rights to the movie until now. The Expendables star also shared the response he received from the on-paper owners of the franchise when he demanded his ownership from them.
“I think there was a certain code of business conduct, maybe not as much now, but back then, that you don’t ruffle the feathers of the golden goose. The studio is the power, the agency relies upon them, and the attorneys are the go-betweens. When I finally confronted them [just before Rocky IV in 1985], I said, ‘Does it bother you guys that I’ve written every word, I’ve choreographed it, I’ve been loyal to you, I’ve promoted it, directed it and I don’t have 1% that I could leave for my children?’ And the quote was, “You got paid.” And that was the end of the conversation.”
Stallone also talked about the licensing and merchandising created by MGM (the owner of the Rocky franchise) and how he literally gets nothing out of all these other channels of income. The Cobra star’s words emphasize the fact that how he is working as a mere employee, with his one-time payment, in his self-created franchise. The Creed star shared that he was left infuriated after realizing that he has not been credited with the appropriate amount despite all his efforts.
“They had 100 different licenses, and they said this is all going to be put into the pot, which would have meant hundreds of millions of dollars over 45 years. I’ve never seen that pot. I was very angry. I was furious. Rocky is on TV around the world more than any other Oscar-winning film other than Godfather. You have six of them, and now you have Creed and Creed II.”
Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky franchise has played a crucial role in shaping his life and career, propelling him to global recognition. The franchise’s success has brought him a decent amount of wealth, but it seems that Stallone still carries a resentment towards the lack of ownership stake.
Source: Variety
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