How many 'Rocky' films did Sylvester Stallone write? 'The Family Stallone' star blasts producer Irwin Winkler for not giving him credit in spinoff
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: There are very few sports franchises in the history of cinema that have been as successful as 'Rocky'.
'Rocky' is the brainchild of none other than Sylvester Stallone, who is not just the actor in the series but also wrote around six 'Rocky' movies and one spinoff. The list includes 'Rocky', 'Rocky II', 'Rocky III', 'Rocky IV', 'Rocky V', 'Rocky VI', and also a spinoff 'Creed II'.
The film series first premiered its first installment in 1976 and it also proved to be a groundbreaking hit as it transformed the life of its main actor Sylvester Stallone. Sylvester also called 'Sly' was struggling to get significant roles in Hollywood before 'Rocky'.
He got inspired by a match between Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner and wrote the script of 'Rocky' in just three days. He then set out to find a producer for the film with just one condition that he would have to star in it.
The United Artists agreed to his request and the rest is history. 'Rocky' won the Oscar for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Film in 1977. Not just this, Sly is also responsible for novelizations of 'Rocky', 'Rocky II', and 'Rocky IV', and also wrote the script for 'Rocky: The Musical'.
There, audiences worldwide were introduced to Rocky Balboa, an ambitious professional boxer with a golden heart played to perfection by then-breakout star Sylvester Stallone.
The story of Rocky's poor beginnings and journey to become a respected athlete struck a chord with spectators and critics. The film would go on to produce four direct sequels, a soft reboot, and, most recently, a passing-of-the-torch style continuation with the critically acclaimed 'Creed' flicks. The franchise is still going strong today, with the release of 'Creed III' (2023), which represents a watershed moment in the series because it will be the first without Stallone as Rocky Balboa.
What are the other movies written by Sylvester Stallone?
Apart from 'Rocky' Sylvester Stallone also wrote other movies. Some of the best movies written by him are 'Homefront' (2013) which was an action thriller directed by Gary Fleder, 'Cliffhanger' (1993), 'F.I.S.T' (1978), a crime drama, and 'The Expendables (2012).
The other movies were 'Rocky Balboa' (2006), 'First Blood' (1982 ) adaptation of David Morrell's novel. Thus apart from being a highly-rated American actor and filmmaker, he is also an amazing screenwriter.
Did Sylvester Stallone win an Academy Award?
'Rocky' (1976) broke all box office records was the highest-grossing movie of the year and was nominated for 10 Academy Awards in various categories. It won three Oscars one for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Editing.
However Sly couldn't win an Oscar for himself, although he was nominated for Best Actor. Even though he gained enormous fame, he was ripped off the prestigious award. Though the screenplay was highly praised, he didn't win any award during the first installment of 'Rocky'. He was even nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role in 'Creed' in 2016 but he failed to win Academy Awards then as well.
What happened between 'Rocky' screenwriter-cum-actor Sylvester Stallone and producer Irwin Winkler?
It seems like all is not well between 'Rocky' screenwriter cum actor Sylvester Stallone and producer Irwin Winkler. The pair is linked to the most enduring movie franchise 'Rocky' beginning from 'Rocky' (1976) to 'Creed II'.
Deadline reported that the rift might be caused due to another 'Rocky' spinoff revolving around the life of Dolph Lundgren's Ivan Drago and the character's family. The film was stated to be produced by Irwin but Sly's name was nowhere in the credit list. To this day Sly was involved with every 'Rocky' project but wasn't called for this spinoff.
He took to Instagram to state his concerns and bashed Irwin Winkler. In the now-deleted post, Sly stated that Irwin is a "bloodsucker" and blamed him for not giving him the credit.
Back in 2019, Stallone announced that he was working on the seventh installment of 'Rocky' which he would serve as an actor and writer. However, due to the arguments with Irwin Winkler, Sly confirmed that the new installment is stalled for a lifetime.
Tune in to Paramount Plus to watch 'The Family Stallone' Season 2 which will start to air from February 21, 2024.
