Sylvester Stallone had made his name as an action star with incredibly famous franchises like Rambo and Rocky. Rocky, in particular, Stallone’s career-defining franchise that shaped the very foundation of the actor’s journey as an actor.
Notably, Stallone did not have the rights to the franchise as he sold it to the producing partners Bob Chartoff and Irwin Winkler in the mid-1970s. Stallone wrote the original film but he was young and unknown in Hollywood at the dawn of his career and sold the movie rights.
Jennifer Flavin Persuaded Sylvester Stallone to Step Away From Creed III
After a long gap, Rocky Balboa returned as a coach in Ryan Coogler’s Michael B. Jordan starrer Creed in 2015. Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky later appeared in the second installment of the new action movie series as well but he left the third installment of the franchise. Stallone’s wife Jennifer Flavin, as revealed by the actor, somewhat persuaded the Rambo actor. Stallone revealed having a conversation with his wife about the movie. “I said to my wife, ‘Maybe I can rewrite the story to where Rocky’s neighbor is sick, and Rocky helps take care of his neighbor. Or maybe Paulie is battling the disease, and I can take his…’” he told Deadline. Flavin stopped him in the middle and said, “No, no, no, no, that’s the whole point.”
“If you really do want to go someplace that you haven’t gone maybe ever, then test yourself and see what you’re made of. This is it. This is what people go through, every day. This is not about vanity. This is not about masculinity. It’s just about the soul, and you’re a coward if you don’t do it, or if you find a cowardly way to do it,” Stallone stated Flavin’s opinion.
The actor was shocked for a while as he heard such a statement for the first time ever. “That was a first; I’m not normally called that,” he revealed. But it did not take much time for the actor to realize that it was true and that it’s okay to go to an uncomfortable place and that’s a part of life.
Rocky Producers Gave Sylvester Stallone The Most Needed Breakthrough
Rocky is undoubtedly one of the biggest and most notable franchises of Stallone’s career. However, when he was new to Hollywood and struggled for acting gigs, he wrote the story of Rocky. This character “wasn’t that smart, but he had heart. A lot of heart. Man, I just started writing and writing and writing and writing, and I came up with this idea in about three and a half days,” Stallone revealed. The actor later went back to Irwin Winkler and Bob Chartoff with his script after being rejected for an acting gig and the actor was in shock when they said “We’d like to make this movie.” The producers also took a lot on their shoulders after considering Stallone for the leading role.
“Irwin Winkler and Bob Chartoff, they took a lot of heat, and they were being embarrassed by United Artists and were being told, “Why would you waste your time on this? We’re not going to put a dime into it.” Those guys actually mortgaged their homes, I don’t know if people knew that. They put up their own personal savings, and they weren’t incredibly rich at that time. It was a big leap of faith. So it was a Rocky story on all different levels. I have to give them credit because I certainly couldn’t have ever done it alone.”
Rocky was a breakthrough for the actor, his ability to write gave him the break and made him one of the most significant and biggest action stars in Hollywood. Rocky was a massive success as the movie grossed over $225 million against the production budget of just $1 million.