Sylvester Stallone has left a lasting mark on Hollywood. The actor rose to fame in the 1970s and 80s to become one of the most recognizable faces in the industry after starring as the lead in the 1976 film Rocky. The film follows a struggling boxer, Rocky Balboa’s journey to become a champion. It won several accolades, including three Academy Awards, and has since developed into a franchise, spanning decades with numerous sequels.
However, the 76-year-old actor, who created the franchise, lost its ownership in a deal he signed, and the rights for the Rocky franchise have been in producer Irwin Winkler’s hands since the 1976 film. During his interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the First Blood star opened up about losing the rights for the franchise and plans for future Rocky films.
Sylvester Stallone Talks About His Return as Rocky Balboa
The Rocky franchise that started with the 1976 film has since become a cultural phenomenon following Rocky Balboa and Donnie Creed. The film series is now continuing with the Creed franchise, which was released after the 2006 film Rocky Balboa. While Sylvester Stallone reprised his role in the Creed franchise, Rocky Balboa became his last solo feature in the series.
During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he revealed that the studio did have plans for more Rocky movies. He shared, “They wanted another Rocky.” Stallone shared that he was willing to film but with one condition.
“I was willing to do it. But I said, “After 45 years, can we change the playing field a little bit? Level it out? Can’t I get a piece of what I created all these years ago?”
The actor shared that he wanted them to give him some rights to the character and the franchise, as it was created by him. However, he has not seen any progress in the subject matter, and the Rambo star believes that he might never get the rights to the franchise.
Sylvester Stallone Believes He Would Never Get the Rights For Rocky
In July 2022, Sylvester Stallone shared an Instagram post criticizing the producer of the Rocky and Creed franchise, Irwin Winkler, and his son David Winkler. In a following post, he asked to have his rights for the character back, saying, “I really would like [to] have at least a little WHAT’s LEFT of my RIGHTS back, before passing it on to ONLY YOUR CHILDREN.”
He said that he also wish to leave something of Rocky for his children, as he called it a “painful subject.” When asked if his posts have led to any progress in the matter the Escape Plan star said, “No. It’s never gonna happen.”
“It was a deal that was done unbeknownst to me by people that I thought were close to me and they basically gave away whatever rights I would have had.”
He explained that he was so excited about his work that he did not understand that it was all business. He claimed that people who did nothing to develop the character have its control, and he does not “own any of it.” Stallone has been associated as a producer for every Creed film.
Read More: “You send out David. I’ll send out Goliath”: Sylvester Stallone’s $300M Rocky 4 Really Upset Russia
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
