Sylvester Stallone vs Irwin Winkler: Actor slams 'Rocky' producer, demands 'WHAT’S LEFT of his rights' back
'Rocky' starrer and filmmaker Sylvester Stallone slammed Irwin Winkler, producer of the 'Rocky' and 'Creed' franchises, and his son David Winkler, who also produces the 'Creed' films, on social media claiming that they withheld a significant financial stake in the franchise from the actor. Stallone, 76, posted a portrait of Winkler as a knife-tongued serpent on Instagram on Sunday, July 17 morning. The image was accompanied by a caption requesting a "fair gesture" from the 93-year-old producer.
“A very flattering portrait of the great ‘Rocky’/’Creed’ producer, Irwin Winkler, from one of the country’s greatest,” Stallone wrote. “After Irwin controlling ‘Rocky’ for over 47 years, and now ‘Creed’, I really would like to have at least a little [of] WHAT’S LEFT of my rights back, before passing it on to ONLY YOUR CHILDREN — I believe that would be a fair gesture from this 93-year-old gentleman?”. Rocky, which was released in 1976, won three Oscars, including best picture, and Stallone was nominated for best actor for his title role as Rocky Balboa, as well as a screenplay nomination. Stallone was also nominated for best supporting actor for his performance as Rocky in the 2015 sequel 'Creed'.
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A day before on July 16, Stallone took to Instagram to criticize David’s recently published memoir The Arrangement: A Love Story, calling it “by far the worst” book he had read. Stallone went on to write that the “unbearable worthless dreck was written by the painfully untalented David Winkler,” with the actor then referring to David’s father, Irwin Winkler, as “the remarkably untalented and parasitical Producer of Rocky and Creed.” “If it wasn’t for Winkler there would’ve been at least another three Rocky’s, that would’ve been wonderful,” Stallone added. “Frankly that crew are the worst unhunman beings I’ve ever met in the movie industry. I will forever love the loyal fans and keep punching.!!! REMEMBER IT FEELS GOOD TO CLEAR YOUR HEART.”
Who is Irwin Winkler?
Born in May 1931 in New York City, Winkler is a 91-year-old film producer and director. His career as a producer, director, and writer includes a number of well-known and influential films that have had an impact on contemporary culture. His films include an array of true screen classics, garnering 12 Academy Awards and 52 Oscar nominations. He has a passion for big, bold, meaningful stories. Among Winkler's numerous nominations are five Best Picture nominations, each for a groundbreaking film: 'Rocky' (1976), which forged one of the most globally recognizable movie characters and themes in history; 'Raging Bull' (1980), which transformed the biopic into a gritty, lyrical work of art; 'The Right Stuff' (1983); 'Goodfellas' (1990), the iconic gangster tale; and the recent The 'Wolf of Wall Street' (2013). Winkler is the only producer to have three films on the American Film Institute's "Top 100 Films" list, according to IMDb.
Winkler was recently honored by the Producers Guild of America with the prestigious David O Selznick Achievement Award which recognized his lifetime body of work. Winker's motion picture-producing career began in the late 1960s when he produced his first film, the Elvis Presley movie 'Double Trouble', with the legendary director Norman Taurog. For his contributions to popular culture, Winkler has been the recipient of numerous American and international honors.
Winkler and Chartoff are both credited as the sole producers of the first five 'Rocky' films. 'Rocky Balboa', the 2006 film that revived the franchise, credits six producers, including David Winkler and Irwin’s other son, Charles Winkler. Stallone is a producer on all of the 'Creed' films, including the upcoming 'Creed III', as are Irwin, David and Charles Winkler, in addition to others.
Why are Sylvester Stallone and Irwin Winkler feuding
In recent years, Stallone has expressed dissatisfaction with his lack of ownership over popular film franchises he helped create, including 'Rocky.' Although Stallone earned first-dollar gross on the early 'Rocky' sequels and net points on the 1976 original, which cost just over $1 million to produce and grossed $225 million worldwide, the actor claims he has been denied an equity stake in the franchise.
“This is a painful subject that eats at my soul because I wanted to leave something of Rocky for my children, but it’s always great hearing from the loyal fans… Keep punching,” Stallone’s Instagram post concluded. In 2019, Stallone lamented to Variety that he had “zero ownership of Rocky.” He explained at the time, “It was shocking that it never came to be, but I was told, ‘Hey, you got paid, so what are you complaining about?’ I was furious.”
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However, the same year Variety reported that Winkler was surprised to learn that Stallone was unhappy with his stake in the franchise, despite receiving tens of millions of dollars in profit participation and upfront fees. According to one source, Stallone earned more than $10 million for both 'Creed' and its 2018 sequel, in which he starred and produced. Stallone originated the character of Rocky Balboa in 1976 (famously writing a 90-page script in three days) and made it part of the deal that he stars in the film as the boxer. The film eventually starred Stallone, who went on to score Oscar nominations for best actor and best original screenplay.