Can the Rocky franchise ever be complete without ‘Mickey Loves You’? Well, actor Sylvester Stallone reportedly planned on wrapping up the sports drama franchise with Rocky III, wanting to finish up the character’s arc in a trilogy. After the worldwide success of the first film, Stallone hopped on the director’s chair for the sequels and planned a great ending.
Stallone was on the brink of giving up on his dreams when he wrote the screenplay for Rocky and sold it for a chance at starring in the sports drama. What was then a small-budget film became a worldwide phenomenon and the highest-grossing film of 1976. It spawned multiple sequels and a spinoff film centered on Adonis Creed, Apollo Creed’s son.
Sylvester Stallone Wanted To Wrap Up Rocky With The Third Film
Sylvester Stallone became an overnight star when he wrote and starred in the sports drama Rocky. The film centered around a boxing bout between an underdog and a reigning champion became a worldwide phenomenon upon release and turned Stallone into a bonafide star. The actor has since become a legend in the action genre.
Stallone carried the Rocky franchise throughout its six-movie run, taking over directing duties from the second film. Though the subsequent films were not as successful as the original, many moments from the sequels have become pop cultural milestones. The franchise even spawned a spinoff trilogy centered on Adonis Creed called Creed.
However, the Rambo star reportedly wanted to call it quits after the third film. In 1979, ahead of the world premiere of Rocky II, Sylvester Stallone mentioned in an interview with Roger Ebert that he wanted to complete Rocky Balboa’s arc with a third and final film. He said,
I want to turn my attention to movies about love relationships. Exploring the female psyche – there ought to be some interesting discoveries there. Love stories. If you do it right, people want to hear romantic dialog. Like Rocky says, ‘If you wouldn’t be here, I couldn’t be here.’
It looks dangerously corny on the printed page. But if it works in a movie, people love it. People stories. I’m not at all interested in, you know, these ‘Nine Men Against the World’ movies. But there’ll never be a ‘Rocky IV.’ You gotta call a halt.
He also mentioned that even though he could play Rocky for a longer time, he wanted to hang up his boxing gloves after the third film as he felt that an older boxer would not look as good.
Sylvester Stallone Wanted The Pope To Be In Rocky III
Despite not wanting to continue with the series after the third film, Sylvester Stallone ended up making three more films in the franchise. In fact, Rocky IV was often considered to be a return to form for the franchise, and the character of Ivan Drogo (played by Dolph Lundgren) has become an irreplaceable part of pop culture history.
The sequels and spinoffs also earned the franchise a total of $1.9 billion at the box office (via The Numbers). Still, Stallone wanted Rocky III to be a proper end to the character arc of Baloboa. He reportedly also had a crazier plan in store for Rocky III,
His last bout will be in the Roman Coliseum, carried worldwide by satellite. Can you see it? Rocky in the Coliseum? The last gladiator? And, for training, running up the Spanish Steps? And, Rocky’s deeply religious; can you imagine him inside St. Peter’s?
I’m seriously gonna try to work in an audience with the Pope into the film. I dunno. Maybe with this Pope, he’ll go for it. If he doesn’t, we get another Pope.
Though Sylvester Stallone’s Rome plans for Rocky never came to fruition, Rocky III still had a great appearance from Mr. T and a wonderful theme song in the form of Survivor’s Eye of the Tiger.
All Rocky films are available for rent on Apple TV.
