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Rocky 7 never happening was the best move for the franchise.

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It has been revealed that Rocky 7 almost happened, but its cancelation was the best move for the Rocky franchise. Rocky 7 would have picked up after the events of 2006's Rocky Balboa , the revival that brought back an older version of Sylvester Stallone's Italian Stallion for one final match against Mason "The Line" Dixon. While the Rocky franchise has continued with the Creed spin-off series, those movies are much better than what Rocky 7 would have been, with the canceled sequel potentially tarnishing its predecessors and ending the franchise forever.

Sylvester Stallone posted plans for Rocky 7 on Instagram, giving a brief look at what the canceled sequel could have been about before taking the post down not long after. The post gives an insight into the unrealized concepts that Rocky 7 would have explored, giving a glimpse at what the story would have been about while also featuring some Rocky 7 art. It's not often that this much information about a canceled movie is revealed so many years down the line, with Stallone's post offering a unique look at the canned sequel. While interesting, it's definitely a good thing that Rocky 7 didn't happen.

Related: Sylvester Stallone Is Right: Rocky Balboa Really Was A Miracle

What Rocky 7 Would Have Been About

Sylvester Stallone's Instagram post featured some notes about what Rocky 7 would have been about, highlighting three story threads that the film would have explored. Rocky's restaurant, which last appeared in Creed II , would have once again played a big role in Rocky 7 . Named Adrian's after Rocky's deceased wife, the restaurant was introduced in Rocky Balboa , with Sylvester Stallone's character running it after retiring from boxing. The restaurant is the last remnant of Adrian that is left in the film after her death in the time between Rocky V and Rocky Balboa , making its inclusion in Rocky 7 a smart and sentimental choice.

This restaurant storyline connects to another one of Rocky 7 's plot points, as the film would have explored how Rocky has been coping with the death of Adrian. The post includes a scene in which Rocky is either reminiscing on or imagining a moment with Talia Shire's Adrian, possibly hinting that she could have a cameo appearance in the film. Adrian's death occurred before Rocky Balboa 's story , and although she is the emotional core of the franchise, Rocky didn't seem too upset over it. Having Rocky deal with his grief would have been a dark and interesting way to tell a story that Rocky Balboa missed out on.

A Rocky movie wouldn't be a Rocky movie without boxing, and Stallone's now-deleted post gives an idea of what the film's boxing story would have been about. The post explains that Rocky 7 would have seen Rocky discover an all-new fighter while visiting a fight club: the 27-year-old boxer Chucho the Mutt. Where this story goes still isn't known, but there seem to be two likely routes. Rocky could have come out of retirement to fight the young boxer, like in Rocky Balboa , or he could have taken up Chucho as his protégé, like in Rocky V . Either way, Chucho would surely have been an interesting addition to the ring.

Why Rocky 7 Didn't Happen

Although it seems to have had a good idea of where it wanted the story to go, Rocky 7 ultimately didn't happen. In Sylvester Stallone's Instagram post, the caption touched on why the film didn't happen, with Stallone vaguely explaining that the film was canceled due to " certain individuals ." Stallone also includes the hashtag " #Irwinsfault " at the end of the post, essentially confirming that the cancelation of Rocky 7 is due (at least in part) to the owner of the rights to the Rocky franchise, Irwin Winkler.

Related: 7 Rocky Characters & Actors Who Returned In The Creed Movies

The controversy surrounding Rocky 's rights and ownership has been documented for a while now, with producer Irwin Winkler having retained the rights to Rocky for nearly 50 years. Stallone has made his feud with Irwin Winkler very public, with him bemoaning the fact that Winkler owns the IP that Stallone has spent years of his life pouring his heart and soul into. Stallone's opinions on how Winkler has handled the franchise even led to the actor not appearing in Creed III , with Stallone not agreeing with the direction the franchise has taken. It seems like Rocky 7 's cancelation was just another victim of Winkler and Stallone's rights battle.

It's A Good Thing Rocky 7 Never Happened

While Rocky 7 could have been exciting, it's a good thing that it never happened. After the franchise's worst movie, Rocky V , was released in 1990, the franchise went on a hiatus for 16 years, only returning with Rocky Balboa in 2006. Rocky Balboa was almost an apology letter to fans, with the film attempting to conclude Rocky's story on a high note, which it did successfully. Doing another Rocky sequel was too risky, as it could have ended up being bad once again, putting the franchise in the same position it was in 1990. Even if Rocky 7 could have been good, it was too risky to attempt.

On top of that, Rocky 7 would have just been a repeat of Rocky Balboa . Presumably, it would have been released not too long after the 2006 film, and if Rocky once again came out of retirement to fight Chucho, it would have been incredibly repetitive. If Rocky instead trained Chucho, it would have then been too repetitive of Rocky V 's Tommy Gunn story , meaning that the movie was in a lose-lose situation. The only way to continue Rocky's story would have been to sideline Rocky , which the franchise rightly did with the Creed spin-off movies.

If Rocky 7 Happened, We Probably Wouldn't Have Gotten Creed

The biggest causality of Rocky 7 would have been Creed . If the Rocky movies continued into the late 2000s and even early 2010s, there would have been no reason to reboot the series, meaning that Creed wouldn't have happened. Creed and Creed II are considered high points for the franchise, perfectly continuing the story and themes of the older films. Rocky 7 would have prevented this from happening, giving audiences another repetitive boxing movie rather than the fresh Creed movies that breathed new life into the Rocky franchise.

More: Creed 3 Needs To End The Franchise (To Avoid A Rocky Mistake)

• Creed (2015)

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What to Know

This story of a down-on-his-luck boxer is thoroughly predictable, but Sylvester Stallone's script and stunning performance in the title role brush aside complaints.

Critics Reviews

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John G. Avildsen

Sylvester Stallone

Rocky Balboa

Talia Shire

Burgess Meredith

Carl Weathers

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She sits, tearful and crumpled, in a corner of her little bedroom. Her brother has torn apart the living room with a baseball bat. Rocky, the guy she has fallen in love with, comes into the room.

"Do you want a roommate?" she asks shyly, almost whispering.

"Absolutely," says Rocky.

Which is exactly what he should say, and how he should say it, and why "Rocky" is such an immensely involving movie. Its story, about a punk club fighter from the back streets of Philly who gets a crack at the world championship, has been told a hundred times before. A description of it would sound like a cliche from beginning to end. But "Rocky" isn't about a story, it's about a hero. And it's inhabited with supreme confidence by a star.

His name is Sylvester Stallone , and, yes, in 1976 he did remind me of the young Marlon Brando . How many actors have come and gone and been forgotten who were supposed to be the "new Brando," while Brando endured? And yet in "Rocky" he provides shivers of recognition reaching back to " A Streetcar Named Desire ." He's tough, he's tender, he talks in a growl, and hides behind cruelty and is a champion at heart. "I coulda been a contender," Brando says in " On the Waterfront ." This movie takes up from there.

It inhabits a curiously deserted Philadelphia: There aren't any cars parked on the slum street where Rocky lives or the slightest sign that anyone else lives there. His world is a small one. By day, he works as an enforcer for a small-time juice man, offering to break a man's thumbs over a matter of $70 ("I'll bandage it!" cries the guy. "It'll look broke"). In his spare time, he works out at Mickey's gym. He coulda been good, but he smokes and drinks beer and screws around. And yet there's a secret life behind his facade. He is awkwardly in love with a painfully shy girl ( Talia Shire ) who works in the corner pet shop. He has a couple of turtles at home, named Cuff and Link, and a goldfish named Moby Dick. After he wins forty bucks one night for taking a terrible battering in the ring, he comes home and tells the turtles: "If you guys could sing and dance, I wouldn't have to go through this crap." When the girl asks him why he boxes, he explains: "Because I can't sing and dance."

The movie ventures into fantasy when the world heavyweight champion ( Carl Weathers , as a character with a certain similarity to Muhammad Ali) decides to schedule a New Year's Eve bout with a total unknown -- to prove that America is still a land of opportunity. Rocky gets picked because of his nickname, the Italian Stallion; the champ likes the racial contrast. And even here the movie looks like a genre fight picture from the 1940s, right down to the plucky little gymnasium manager ( Burgess Meredith ) who puts Rocky through training, and right down to the lonely morning ritual of rising at four, drinking six raw eggs, and going out to do roadwork. What makes the movie extraordinary is that it doesn't try to surprise us with an original plot, with twists and complications; it wants to involve us on an elemental, a sometimes savage, level. It's about heroism and realizing your potential, about taking your best shot and sticking by your girl. It sounds not only clichéd but corny -- and yet it's not, not a bit, because it really does work on those levels. It involves us emotionally, it makes us commit ourselves: We find, maybe to our surprise after remaining detached during so many movies, that this time we care.

The credit for that has to be passed around. A lot of it goes to Stallone when he wrote this story and then peddled it around Hollywood for years before he could sell it. He must have known it would work because he could see himself in the role, could imagine the conviction he's bringing to it, and I can't think of another actor who could quite have pulled off this performance. There's that exhilarating moment when Stallone, in training, runs up the steps of Philadelphia's art museum, leaps into the air, shakes his fist at the city, and you know he's sending a message to the whole movie industry.

The director is John Avildsen , who made "Joe" and then another movie about a loser who tried to find the resources to start again, " Save the Tiger ." Avildsen correctly isolates Rocky in his urban environment, because this movie shouldn't have a documentary feel, with people hanging out of every window: It's a legend, it's about little people, but it's bigger than life, and you have to set them apart visually so you can isolate them morally.

And then there's Talia Shire, as the girl (she was the hapless sister of the Corleone boys in " The Godfather "). When she hesitates before kissing Rocky for the first time, it's a moment so poignant it's like no other. And Burt Young as her brother -- defeated and resentful, loyal and bitter, caring about people enough to hurt them just to draw attention to his grief. There's all that, and then there's the fight that ends the film. By now, everyone knows who wins, but the scenes before the fight set us up for it so completely, so emotionally, that when it's over we've had it. We're drained.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Film Credits

Rocky (1976)

119 minutes

Carl Weathers as Apollo Creed

Sylvester Stallone as Rocky

Frank Stallone as Timekeeper

Talia Shire as Adrian

Burt Young as Paulie

Burgess Meredith as Mickey

Directed by

• John Avildsen

Produced by

• Robert Chartoff
• Irwin Winkler

Screenplay by

• Sylvester Stallone

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Sylvester Stallone Reveals the Original Plan for Rocky 7

Sylvester Stallone shared some details about his original ideas for what Rocky 7 would have looked like, but says it will never be made.

The Rocky franchise has seemingly movies on from featuring its former title character, with Creed III hitting cinemas soon without the involvement of Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa. However, the actor has shared on his Instagram account a set of notes detailing the way his Rocky 7 would have played out. Stallone also takes the opportunity to once again call out original Rocky producer Irwin Winkler, who he continues to have a personal beef with.

Before the franchise diverted attention to the spin-off Creed movies , Stallone appeared as Rocky Balboa in six movies, with the final movie being released in 2006. According to notes shown by Stallone, his notes include a number of ideas for key scenes that would have been included in his follow-up. This contains a scene where Rocky reminisces about his dead wife Adrian in the restaurant he opened in her honor in the sixth movie. The second set of notes include a scene in which Rocky finds a young fighter called Chucho the Mutt catching his attention, but whether he would have taken on the youngster with a view to being his mentor is unclear. Stallone later deleted the post, images of which were shared via Collider , but included in his comments:

"This was the beginning EXCERPTS of screenplay for ROCKY 7, sadly because certain individuals, it will never happen, but it’s something I want to share with the diehard fans. Always Keep punching. Painting by @john_rivoli. #Irwinsfaul. Part two, I know it’s confusing, but I think you get the idea. Rocky was back trying to fight for the neighborhood that made him and that he still loves."

Sylvester Stallone and Family to Star in Paramount+ Reality Show

Sylvester stallone says a new rocky movie will never happen.

For a while now Sylvester Stallone has aired his issues with original Rocky producer Irwin Winkler, who the actor claims has been holding the rights to Rocky “hostage,” and last year he urged Winkler to resolve the matter and give him back the rights that he believes are his. Until that happens, he has ruled out any further involvement on screen as part of the franchise. He previously 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. At the time I was so excited to be working and I didn’t understand this is a business. Who knew Rocky would go on for another 45 years? I’ve never used one [line of dialogue] from anyone else — and the irony is that I don’t own any of it. The people who have done literally nothing, control it.”

Despite Stallone’s issues, the Rocky franchise has continued to live on with Creed III set to arrive in theaters on March 3 , giving Michael B. Jordan his first outing as both star and director of the Creed franchise. This time around he will be facing down a new opponent in the form of Jonathan Majors as former friend who becomes a formidable adversary in the ring.

‘Rocky’ Review: Sylvester Stallone’s Boxing Classic Is More of a Gritty Melodrama

John G. Avildsen’s Oscar-winning movie packs more feelings than punches.

There is a scene in John G. Avildsen ’s Rocky in which the titular character, played by Sylvester Stallone , watches himself on TV being relentlessly mocked by Apollo Creed ( Carl Weathers ) and his crew. By his side are his girlfriend, Adrian ( Talia Shire ), and his so-called friend Paulie ( Burt Young ). When asked if he wasn’t bothered by the treatment Creed and his staff dispensed him, Rocky claims to be totally okay with it. A couple of shots later, however, now alone with Adrian, he confesses that he was indeed hurt by the way he was treated. It’s quite an unassuming scene, with awkward pacing and stunted dialogue. It is also incredibly touching and heartbreaking in its honesty. More than anything, however, it is a scene that perfectly sums up Rocky , a movie with layers upon layers of hidden depth that stay as close to the surface as its protagonist’s soft spots, but that is nevertheless obscured by the expectations we have for it.

More About Feelings Than Punches

Ever since it first came out in 1976 and subsequently won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1977, Rocky developed a sort of reputation as one of the greatest sports films of all time. But upon watching it for the first time, viewers may find themselves disconcerted by how little sport there actually is in the movie. In the end, whether you like Rocky or not has less to do with your fondness for sports movies and more to do with your tolerance for grittiness and melodrama. Because, even though it might seem like an oxymoron, this is what Rocky is: a gritty melodrama.

Rocky is a very straightforward story about an underdog that gets his shot at the moon, takes it, and becomes a hero. At the same time—and even if the film’s many sequels are often contradictory to this reading—it is the tale of a man trapped in a world that sees him only for what he can offer and his fleeting moment of victory - or, rather, near victory. It’s a story that, in the hands of a more cynical director and screenwriter, could've been another Taxi Driver , perhaps with a happy ending thrown in for good measure. Written by Stallone himself, however, the story of Rocky Balboa becomes a dirty fairytale with broken heroes. As one of the characters themselves puts it, Rocky’s rise to fame is a Cinderella story: a nobody fighter that doubles as a debt collector for the mob being plucked out of nowhere to fight the world heavyweight champion. But instead of black-and-white fairy godmothers and envious stepsisters, the people that make up the world in which Rocky lives are a lot more complicated.

RELATED: ‘Rocky III’ Added This Crucial Element Into the Famed Franchise

The Violent World of Rocky

The world in which Rocky takes place is a poverty-ridden Philadelphia in which people are inherently worthless and relationships are only established through violence, whether verbal or physical. None of Rocky’s alleged friends truly sees him as a person. They only value him for what he can provide them with - more often than not, money. For Paulie, he's his chance of getting a new job in which he doesn’t have to haul meat all day, even if that job is busting people’s legs for cash. For Mickey ( Burgess Meredith ), he’s the no-good, past his prime fighter that isn’t even worthy of a gym locker - up until, of course, the point at which he becomes bankable. For Gazzo ( Joe Spinell ), the local loan shark and kind mafia boss who makes sure Rocky has enough money for dates and fighting supplies, he’s the finger-breaking tool employed whenever someone fails to pay their debts.

This violent depersonalization is extended to other characters in the movie, particularly the women. At the beginning of her relationship with Rocky, Adrian remarks that her mother told her to develop her brain because she didn’t have much of a body, in response to Rocky saying that he works with his body because he doesn’t have much of a brain. Her brother, Paulie, treats her like a thing that he can give to Rocky in exchange for advantages and demeans her for supposedly not being a virgin. Even Rocky, a sweet man that cares for turtles and often refuses to do Gazzo’s bidding, engages in this violent behavior when he calls a 12-year-old girl a whore for using cuss words and hanging out with boys in front of a liquor store. He does so in an attempt to stop her from becoming another violent byproduct of this oppressive world, but he does so in one of the most violent ways imaginable. In the end, as kind as he is, he doesn’t know any better.

Breaking the Cycle of Abuse

The only character in Rocky that breaks this systemic cycle of abuse completely is Adrian, but perhaps only because she is too beaten down to put up a fight. Looking through modern lenses, her relationship with Rocky seems abusive, at least in the beginning. After all, he all but forces himself upon her, even if the movie goes to a great length to make it clear that he would never harm her in any way. But in the context of the film, their love story works: Rocky’s behavior may read as aggressive, but aggression is the language of the land, and those who speak it are able to recognize the kindness in Rocky’s ways.

Another thing that strangely works because of the inherent cruelty of the world of Rocky is Stallone’s stony performance. The same can be said for the stunted lines of dialogue in his screenplay. Instead of trying to soften these issues, Avildsen doubles down on them. The result is a movie in which all conversations feel excessively blunt and awkward, but in a way that adds to the story: in such a violent world, non-violent communication doesn’t come easy. Yes, dialogue in Rocky can often feel forced, but how could they be anything else when characters are literally trying to force their feelings out of their mouths in a world that doesn’t expect them to feel at all?

But even with this heaviness, Rocky is by no means a bleak or dreary movie. On the contrary, it is a feel-good film. Not because Rocky wins the fight at the end, mind you, because he doesn’t: Apollo Creed is the one that emerges victorious. But Rocky still gives him one hell of a fight, and, ultimately, that was his goal, to go down with honor, giving his very best. Paraphrasing a song from a later installment of the franchise , Rocky is all about the thrill of the fight. It’s a working-class movie that values the struggle and that urges you to not go gently into that good night. It urges you to fight against a world that wants to see you down, whether with your fists, your words, or just by raising turtles. You might not win in the end, but it’s the fight that matters.

Rocky (United States, 1976)

There are essentially three kinds of boxing movies: those that offer a grim, tell-it-as-it-is perspective of life in the ring, those that focus (often in an exaggerated fashion) on the business aspects of things, and those that seek to uplift through a rags-to-riches story. Rocky , the 1977 Best Picture Oscar winner, belongs unabashedly in the third category. Although the movie contains realistic elements and is set in a believable arena, it is essentially a fairy tale about a down-and-out pugilist who gets a chance at the fight of a lifetime, and, at the same time, wins the girl. Rocky certainly didn't invent all the sports movie clichés - they were around long before the mid-'70s - but it applied them in a way that captivated audiences and didn't seem over-the-top. Since 1976, nearly every film featuring a big sports comeback and triumph has been inspired by and/or compared to Rocky , regardless of whether it involves boxing or not.

According to writer Sylvester Stallone, the script for Rocky was developed over a short, three-day period. Stallone then shopped the project around, attaching himself as the star. Initially, United Artists wanted James Caan to play the title role, but, when Stallone wouldn't relent, production went ahead with a paltry budget of around $1 million. Stallone had the last laugh, however - with great reviews, exceptional word-of-mouth, and nine Oscar nominations, Rocky went on to earn back its cost by more than one hundred-fold. It also spun off four inferior sequels, the first three of which also made more than $100 million each at the box office. The series didn't die until 1990 when Rocky V took a nosedive off the Ben Franklin Bridge.

From a critical perspective, it's hard to justify Rocky 's triumph as Best Picture at the 1977 Academy Awards ceremony. Two of its competitors, Taxi Driver and Network , were arguably better films, and certainly more "important." Nevertheless, Rocky was the underdog - the low-budget movie that could. In many ways, its grabbing the title belt of Best Picture was as unlikely as its main character going the distance with Apollo Creed. In the space of just a few months, the film went from being a minor release on United Artists' schedule to becoming a full-fledged cinematic phenomenon.

The aspect of Rocky that many people forget (especially those who have not watched the movie in years) is that it's as much a tender love story as it is about ring action. Rocky Balboa (Stallone) is a boxing bottomfeeder - someone who will fight anyone for a $50 purse. His lone ambition is to stay afloat. He lives in a one-room apartment with two turtles and a fish, and spends his days working as a collector for a South Philly loan shark. Mickey (Burgess Meredith), the crusty manager at the boxing club where he works out, is disgusted with Rocky, because he had the natural ability to become a great fighter, but threw it all away. When Rocky's attention isn't on fighting or his job, it's on wooing Adrian (Talia Shire), the painfully shy sister of his best friend, Paulie (Burt Young). Rocky is in love with her, but his inarticulate attempts to ask Adrian out frighten her off.

Rocky's fortunes change when Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), the World Heavyweight Champion, hand picks him as an opponent. A fight scheduled for January 1, 1976 (and dubbed the "Bicentennial Match") was to feature Creed against his #1 challenger, but injuries to the opponent cause him to back out five weeks before the event. In an attempt to salvage something, Creed decides to give a local Philadelphia fighter a chance, and Rocky's nickname of the "Itallion Stallion" catches his attention. As a result, a boxer with no apparent future suddenly has a chance at the World Championship title. From Rocky's perspective, however, winning is secondary. He wants one thing out of the fight with Apollo: the self-respect he can earn by going the distance. Even more than that, however, he wants to win Adrian's heart. That's why the film's final scene is less concerned with the result of the match than with the result of the romance.

Sylvester Stallone was not a complete unknown when he starred in Rocky , but he was not a household name. Rocky put him on the map. (Stallone's feature debut, the low-budget, pseudo porn film A Party at Kitty and Stud 's, was re-released in 1976 as The Itallion Stallion , to capitalize on Stallone's newfound popularity.) Suddenly, he was a much sought-after talent. He used Rocky to launch a motion picture career that catapulted him to the highest orbit of action stars where, during the 1980s, his international fame was rivaled only by Schwarzenegger, and he ranked as one of the highest paid actors in Hollywood. In Rocky , Stallone showed some legitimate acting talent - it would be 20 years before he tried another straightforward dramatic role in James Mangold's Copland .

The supporting cast featured a number of low-profile, character actors. The most recognizable and colorful of these was Burgess Meredith, whose portrayal of Mickey, the old timer who trained Rocky, presaged the tough, all-knowing trainers who would litter sports movies throughout the next 25 years. Talia Shire, known at the time as Micheal Corleone's sister in The Godfather movies, fashions Adrian as a very atypical love interest. Shy and withdrawn, Adrian never truly blossoms, not even in the full light of Rocky's love. Carl Weathers, who has since moved from the big screen to TV, plays the business savvy Creed, and Burt Young is the often drunk and occasionally abusive Paulie.

As important to Rocky as the stars is the setting. Nearly every frame of the film oozes Philadelphia, from the environs around Rocky's apartment to the Art Museum steps, atop which Rocky raises his arms in triumph as "Gonna Fly Now" reaches its climax. Philadelphia hasn't changed much in the past 25 years; there's still a strange, almost eerie sense of recognition of landmarks and familiar sights more than two decades later. Only the skyline, as seen from the Art Museum, is significantly different. Since Rocky , Philadelphia has received its share of screen exposure (most recently in The Sixth Sense ), but the city will always be best known to movie buffs as Rocky's home. Even today, the Art Museum is one of Philadelphia's top tourist attractions, and many of the visitors aren't interested in going inside or seeing the exhibits. They're there to stand where Rocky stood and to gaze eastward.

What makes Rocky special is that it concentrates on characters, not sports. It would be disingenuous to say that the climactic boxing match is unimportant - it is, after all the movie's centerpiece - but that's not all Stallone's movie is about. There are only two fights - one at the beginning and one at the end. In between, every screen moment is used to develop Rocky as a person. He is not traditional hero material - he's crude, stupid, boorish, and has limited aspirations. Nevertheless, there's something likable about the guy, and it has its root in the gentle, caring way he treats Adrian. And it's this relationship that's the key to making Rocky 's ending triumphant. He may lose the fight, but he gains so much more.

Throughout film history, boxing movies have often been about characters who regain self-respect and the respect of others through their activities in the ring. Unlike On the Waterfront and Raging Bull , Rocky is only about regrets and lost opportunities in that it gives the protagonist an opportunity to overcome these. Yet Rocky is not the ultimate "feel good" movie. If it was, Rocky would have won the fight and gotten the girl. With the ending, Stallone wanted to emphasize one of life's simplest lessons - that some things are more important than winning. It's a message that became diluted upon the release of Rocky II , when Stallone gave into public pressure and allowed the character to take the belt from Apollo - an unfortunate (yet perhaps inevitable) development.

Rocky is widely considered to be Stallone's movie - in addition to writing and starring in it, he also choreographed the boxing sequences. But he did not direct the movie. That job went to John Avildson, a filmmaker of no particular distinction at the time who was propelled by his success here to a modestly rewarding career. Avildson's work here should not be underestimated. Rocky has a lot of heart, and, while Stallone deserves some credit for this, Avildson's contributions were equally important. And the direction of the climactic fight is masterful - Avildson's handling of this 15-minute segment makes us believe we're watching a real boxing match. In addition to the adrenaline rush, there's the sense of not knowing who's going to emerge victorious. Following Rocky , Avildson found a niche directing sports movies. His other projects included three Karate Kid films, Rocky V , and 8 Seconds .

Considering what the Rocky series became - popcorn action films with little heart, less intelligence, and a lot of testosterone - it's a somewhat refreshing experience to go back and re-connect with the original, which offers a lot more substance than the sequels. Rocky is not a flawless motion picture, but it is a feel-good classic, and well worth another look. The basic storyline has been done to death over the years; this is still one of the most effective and successful applications of the formula.

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If ever a recent offbeat film project had some high-horsepower sponsorship, it’s “ Rocky .” Sylvester Stallone stars in his own screenplay about a minor local boxer who gets a chance to fight a heavyweight championship bout. Some genuinely strong emotional impact emerges from the heavy environment of street grime and gymnasium sweat provided by director John G. Avildsen and producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff. The p.r. juggernaut is already at high speed, though the public might well be given a chance to discover the United Artists release for itself.

There are “Marty” overtones in abundance here, and that’s a strong commercial omen for the $1,000,000 gamble herein. The very best way to enjoy “Rocky” is not to examine it too carefully; better simply to relax and roll with the Walter Mitty, Cinderella, or what-have-you notion that the least of us still stands a chance of making it big.

Stallone’s title character is that of a near-loser, a punchy reject scorned by gym owner Burgess Meredith, patronized by local loan shark Joe Spinell (for whom Stallone is too-sympathetic a strong-arm collection agent), rebuffed by plain-Jane Talia Shire whose brother, Burt Young, keeps engineering a romantic match. Even Jodi Letizia, latent teenage tramp, has contempt for him.

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Rocky would have remained in this rut, had not heavyweight champ Carl Weathers come up with the Bicentennial gimmick of fighting a sure-ringer, thereby certifying the American Dream for public consumption. Fight promoter Thayer David (remembered so well as the professional and moral arsonist in Avildsen’s “Save the Tiger”) puts the machinery in motion. To everyone’s surprise, Rocky trains arduously. In the climactic (and cinematically powerful) fight sequence, Rocky goes the whole route to an exciting fadeout draw which is reminiscent of the climax of Robert Aldrich’s “The Longest Yard” two years ago.

En route all this, Stallone brings out the best in Shire, exposes the worst in Young and generally gets his life together. The story-telling pace justifies nicely its 119-minute length. Performances, direction and production all contribute importantly. But…

While art by definition must trigger certain emotional responses, occasionally there’s too-obvious a feeling of really being manipulated and stroked. Fact that Rocky gets his big chance from cynical schemers–with a black public hero as the instigator–rests uneasily at moments. Then there are occasional flashes that the film may be patronizing the lower end of the blue-collar mentality, as much if not more than the characters who keep putting Rocky down on the screen. However, Avildsen is noted for creating such ambiguities.

To repeat, best not to dwell on the film. Better to let the smoggy fairy tale run its course and allow general audience patrons their own unique word of mouth propulsion. Pre-release certification of triumph along with a barrage of favorable expert opinion is not unlike playing with fire.

1976: Best Picture, Director, Editing.

Nominations: Best Actor (Sylvester Stallone), Actress (Talia Shire), Supp.Actor (Burgess Meredith, Burt Young), Story & Screenplay, Best Song (‘Gonna Fly Now’), Sound

• Production: United Artists. Director John G. Avildsen; Producer Irwin Winkler; Screenplay Sylvester Stallone.
• Crew: Camera (DeLuxe Color), James Crabe; editors Richard Halsey, Scott Conrad; music, Bill Conti; songs, Conti, Frank Stallone Jr.; production design, Bill Cassidy; art direction, James H. Spencer; set decoration, Raymond Molyneaux; sound, Ray Alba, Burt Schoenfeld, B. Eugene Ashbrook; costumes-wardobe, Joanne Hutchinson, Robert Cambel; asst. director, Fred Gallo. Reviewed at MGM Studios, Culver City. Oct. 28, '76. (MPAA Rating: PG.) Running Time, 119 MINS.
• With: Rocky - Sylvester Stallone Adrian - Talia Shire Paulie - Burt Young Apollo - Carl Weathers Mickey - Burgess Meredith Jergens - Thayer David Gazzo - Joe Spinell Himself - Joe Frazier Marie - Jodi Letizia

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‘rocky’: thr’s 1976 review.

On Nov. 21, 1976, Sylvester Stallone was vaulted to "the hottest new star" of the year with the debut of 'Rocky.'

By Arthur Knight

Arthur Knight

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On Nov. 21, 1976, Sylvester Stallone  was vaulted to “the hottest new star” of the year with the debut of Rocky. The film, which claimed the best picture Oscar at the 49th  Academy Awards, became a pop-culture milestone and an enduring franchise for Stallone . The Hollywood Reporter’s original review is below: 

To describe Rocky as a movie about prize-fighting is about as helpful as saying that Marty , which it resembles in many ways, was a picture about butchering. Marty, you’ll remember, was a not-too-handsome but essentially decent sort of fellow who just happened to work in a butcher shop in the Bronx. Well, Rocky is a not-too-bright but essentially decent young man who just happens to be a third-rate heavyweight working out of a second-rate gym in South Philadelphia (and on the side, for eating money, breaks the thumbs of delinquent debtors on behalf of a local loanshark .) On paper, neither character may seem terribly appealing, but on the screen they steal your heart away, but completely.

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I first saw Rocky maybe six months ago in a still drastically incomplete form. (Among many other things, the final reel was missing.) Even so, I have been saying ever since that this has to be the sleeper of the year. Well, last Friday, in its initial preview at the Academy, the sleeper finally awoke. Not only did that last reel include some of the most wildly exciting fight footage ever put on the screen, but it also provided an emotionally gratifying capstone to a picture that is truly an ode to the human spirit.

For the course of its two hours we learn that, given the incentive, a man can transform himself from a bum to a worthy contender — or perhaps more important, that America is still a place where a man can haul himself up by his own bootstraps provided he believes in himself and has the will to do so. True, the film presents Rocky with a particularly fluky opportunity — a crack at a championship match after the original challenger has dropped out. The champ happens to think that a bout with Rocky, who calls himself “The Italian Stallion,” would be good PR. No matter. It’s the rigorous training that Rocky puts himself through, the growing pride that he takes in himself — plus the doubts, plus his touching love for a shy and awkward slavey  — that become the heart of this picture, and which touch the hearts of us all.

A romantic leftover from Capra-land ? Possibly — although there are those of us who feel that there is ample room today for many more such romantic leftovers. But the irony is that, in many ways, Rocky parallels the story of Sylvester Stallone , the husky young actor who both wrote and stars in the film. Although he had appeared in only a handful of pictures (most notably, The Lords of Flatbush ), Stallone wrote the script for himself —  and put himself through a year of punishing exercise to build the physical stamina to play the role. His script made the rounds, and he began to get offers — good offers — but always for someone else to play Rocky. When he finally sold the script, to Chartoff and Winkler, it was for substantially less than he could have gotten elsewhere — but with Chartoff and Winkler, he was part of the package.

Nor should it be thought that Chartoff and Winkler were short-changing a hungry young actor. For a picture totally lacking in marquee names, the best they could come up with was a budget of around $1,000,000 — and it’s a large-scale picture, involving considerable location work in Philadelphia, as well as at the Los Angeles Sports Arena. To make it happen, Chartoff and Winkler not only gave up their normal producer’s fee, but actually mortgaged their homes in lieu of paying interest charges on a completion bond.

Such evidences of faith in a picture are all too rare; but if this gamble pays off the way I think it will, perhaps this will change as well. For in addition to a heart-warming script, Stallone has created on the screen a character of enormous appeal and charm — half-articulate but funny, gruff but good-hearted. His idea of a courtship is to drop by the pet shop where his girl works and tell her a terrible joke, one in the morning, one in the evening. There is a supremely touching moment when this uncouth fellow, a cigarette dangling from his lips, carefully explains to a 12-year-old tough why she shouldn’t talk dirty; and another when, in a choked fury, he asks the beat-up trainer who wants to manage him now that he has a crack at the championship, “Where were you when I needed you?”

All of this John Avildsen has realized with extraordinary insight, and an even more extraordinary feeling for the rhythm and pace of his film. The performances — not only Stallone’s , but Talia Shire’s as his girl, Burt Young’s as her swinish brother, Burgess Meredith’s as the irascible trainer, Thayer David’s as a smooth fight promoter — all of them seem to respond to the originality and the sense of truth that underlies their characters. And a final word must be said for James Crabe’s incredible camera work — not only his stunning views of Philadelphia’s historic monuments, but the squalor of the South Philadelphia slums, two breath-taking swoops up the broad steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum, a protracted run past swinging sides of beef in a meat-packing plant and, of course, the virtuoso photography of the climactic bout.

In many ways, Rocky is a picture that should make movie history. One thing is already certain, however — the movie has made Sylvester Stallone the hottest new star of 1976. As Frank Capra  might put it, “It can happen here.” — Arthur Knight, originally published on Nov. 5, 1976. 

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Where to Watch

Sylvester Stallone (Rocky) Talia Shire (Adrian) Burt Young (Paulie) Carl Weathers (Apollo) Burgess Meredith (Mickey) Thayer David (Jergens) Joe Spinell (Gazzo) Jimmy Gambina (Mike) Bill Baldwin (Fight Announcer) Al Silvani (Cut Man)

John G. Avildsen

A small-time Philadelphia boxer gets a supremely rare chance to fight the world heavyweight champion in a bout in which he strives to go the distance for his self-respect.

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Sylvester Stallone Shares Rocky 7 Plot Details in Unused Script Excerpt

By Anthony Nash

Sylvester Stallone’s unhappiness with the future of the Rocky franchise is noted, and recently, the actor took to social media to share what a potential seventh entry in the Rocky franchise would have looked like.

In a since-deleted Instagram post, Stallone shared the beginning excerpts of the screenplay for Rocky 7 . In a tweet sharing the post, Stallone said that “sadly, it will never happen, but it’s something I want to share with the diehard fans.” The excerpt is pretty barebones but does give some interesting tidbits about what the film would have held.

“This was the beginning EXCERPTS of screenplay for ROCKY 7, sadly because certain individuals, it will never happen, but its something I want to share with the diehard fans. Always keep punching.” – Sylvester Stallone’s Instagram pic.twitter.com/p44mEFKzoU — Joshua Hargis (@jediknightjoshy) February 19, 2023

In the excerpts, Rocky is seen running Adrian’s Restaurant, a place he opened after the death of his wife. In the scene, he plays a vinyl record and imagines having a conversation with his wife.

A bit of the excerpt can be seen below:

Ext. Adrian’s Restaurant – Night The windows are dark except for the faint glow emanating from within the building. The streets are deserted and the composition is quite somber… Int. Adrian’s Rocky, half enveloped in the shadows behind the bar, places a record on an ancient turntable then lowers the needle and operatic music lifts out of the dated speakers above the bar. Rocky saunters to the back of the restaurant as “O mio babbino caro” by Puccini gently embraces the room. Rocky approaches a checkered table cloth is illuminated by scented candles. As he approaches we see the slight silhouette of a woman seated with her back to us. Rocky arrives and slides to opposite side and… Rocky: “Do you like this song?” Adrian’s warm eyes settle on Rocky’s. Adrian: “Yes. Very much. My favorite aria.” Rocky (sheepish): “…I know that.”

Shared in a separate and also deleted post is another scene where Rocky goes to a boxing club. Rocky sees a 27-year-old fighter named “Chucho the Mutt,” but it’s unclear as to whether or not this would be an opponent of Rocky’s or perhaps a student for him to mentor. “I know it’s confusing, but I think you get the idea,” wrote Stallone. “Rocky was back trying to fight for the neighborhood that made him and that he still loves.”

Cómo??qué???Aaaaah!! En IG yá quitó los posteos de los borradores de los guiones de lo qué sería Rocky 7,pero acá pude obtener estás imágenes,esperen unos momentos porque estoy en Shock… Si,estaba en planes pero dice qué tristemente nunca va a pasar A quien hay que ir a matar? https://t.co/aJyIKE7BVW pic.twitter.com/hJhnDD4flz — Iva????? (@Iva50265567) February 20, 2023

While Stallone did want to make a seventh Rocky film to show off more of the character, things never came to fruition, which Stallone blames on producer Irwin Winkler . Last year, Stallone accused the producer of purposely holding onto the rights of the Rocky character, and likened Winkler and his family to vampires, calling them “parasites” that had been “lining their pockets with other people’s work.”

Stallone has had ideas for prequel series to both of his iconic franchises for some time, both of which centered around exploring the story of a younger version of the characters of Rocky and Rambo.

Anthony Nash has been writing about games and the gaming industry for nearly a decade. When he’s not writing about games, he’s usually playing them. You can find him on Twitter talking about games or sports at @_anthonynash.

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Rocky Review

01 Jan 1976

119 minutes

The second greatest boxing movie of all time (beaten only by Raging Bull) John G. Avildsen's rags to riches pugilist fable remains Sylvester Stallone's only real cinematic achievement, the surprise being that he not only delivers a winning performance as the loveable lunkhead seizing his chance to take on the champ, but also penned, or rather dictated, the script.

Avildsen uses locations masterfully, delivers some genuinely charming scenes (the ice rink sequence is classic) and knows exactly when to stop. Pretty much a template for high concept drama while Don Simpson was a mere glint in his dealers' eye.

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The former World Heavyweight Champion Rocky Balboa serves as a trainer and mentor to Adonis Johnson, the son of his late friend and former rival Apollo Creed. The former World Heavyweight Champion Rocky Balboa serves as a trainer and mentor to Adonis Johnson, the son of his late friend and former rival Apollo Creed. The former World Heavyweight Champion Rocky Balboa serves as a trainer and mentor to Adonis Johnson, the son of his late friend and former rival Apollo Creed.

• Ryan Coogler
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• Sylvester Stallone
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• Tessa Thompson
• 630 User reviews
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• 82 Metascore
• 45 wins & 65 nominations total

• Adonis Johnson

• Rocky Balboa

• Mary Anne Creed

• Danny 'Stuntman' Wheeler

• 'Pretty' Ricky Conlan

• Pete Sporino

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• Conlan's Cut Man

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• Trivia Just as the film was entering pre-production, Sylvester Stallone 's oldest son Sage Stallone died of a heart attack. Stallone has admitted that the loss almost sent him into a full breakdown, but Ryan Coogler was eventually able to convince him to use the film as a dedication to Sage, focusing specifically on the father-son relationships that appear in it. Although initially resistant, Stallone said at the Golden Globes that Creed helped him cope with Sage's death.
• Goofs After leaving the dressing room to enter the arena at Goodison Park, Merseyside, England, an American exit sign with red text can be seen above the door. UK exit signs are green with a pictorial of a man and a door. This was clearly not shot it the UK.

Rocky Balboa : [Creed takes cell phone photo of boxing drills and walks off] Hey don't you want this?

Adonis Johnson : [Holds out cell phone] It's on this.

Rocky Balboa : What if you lose it?

Adonis Johnson : It's already in the cloud.

Rocky Balboa : [Looks in sky confused] What cloud?

• Crazy credits Only movie in the Rocky series which Stallone didn't get top-billing.
• Alternate versions SPOILER: In the final theatrical release of the film, Adonis Creed loses the fight to Pretty Ricky Conlan by split decision, mirroring the end of the original Rocky. However, another ending was filmed in which Creed wins the fight.
• Connections Featured in Football Focus: Episode #15.25 (2015)
• Soundtracks El Padre Armando Written by Xocoyotzin Herrera Performed by Macias & Macias Courtesy of LMS Records Under license from Latin Music Specialists

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Sylvester Stallone's Most Iconic Roles

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• In 'Rocky Balboa', Paulie mentioned that the Rocky statue, which was originally located at the top of the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum, was taken down. But when Adonis arrived at Philadelphia, he spots the statue at a different location. Somebody explain this?
• November 25, 2015 (United States)
• United States
• Tay Đấm Huyền Thoại
• Goodison Park, Goodison Road, Walton, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, UK
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
• Warner Bros.
• New Line Cinema
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $35,000,000 (estimated)
• $109,778,883
• $29,632,823
• Nov 29, 2015
• $174,178,883

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• Runtime 2 hours 13 minutes
• Dolby Digital

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Boxing Best Picture sets underdog-hero standard; drinking.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Inspiring messages about hard work and perseveranc

Rocky is an admirable underdog character. Though h

Paulie becomes violent and trashes a room with a b

Some kissing and minor sexual discussions.

Infrequent language: "screw you," "

Paulie is an alcoholic who carries a bottle of whi

Parents need to know that Rocky is a classic underdog boxing tale that includes plenty of boxing violence, plus a secondary character smashes up a room with a baseball bat when angry. This same character drinks heavily. Rocky and his girlfriend move in together.

Positive Messages

Inspiring messages about hard work and perseverance, working toward a goal despite difficulties, the importance of love and companionship. Other themes include self-control and gratitude.

Positive Role Models

Rocky is an admirable underdog character. Though he drinks and smokes and has a difficult time verbalizing his thoughts, he cares about the people around him and gives them good advice. He is kind to those who have not always shown him respect and loves animals. His perseverance is inspirational.

Violence & Scariness

Paulie becomes violent and trashes a room with a baseball bat. He is also verbally demeaning to his sister. The final scene includes a brutal boxing match.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Infrequent language: "screw you," "a--hole," and "whore."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Paulie is an alcoholic who carries a bottle of whiskey in his pocket. He often becomes hot-tempered or violent due to excessive drinking. Rocky smokes cigarettes and drinks, but quits both during training.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Rocky is a classic underdog boxing tale that includes plenty of boxing violence, plus a secondary character smashes up a room with a baseball bat when angry. This same character drinks heavily. Rocky and his girlfriend move in together. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Community Reviews

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• Kids say (90)

Based on 22 parent reviews

Sexual violence scene easily misinterpreted by young people

Lots of inappropiate things. domestic and sexual violence. not for 11 years old., what's the story.

ROCKY Balboa ( Sylvester Stallone ) is a sweet-natured, but not very bright boxer and small-time enforcer for a loan-shark. He has a crush on Adrian ( Talia Shire ), the painfully shy sister of his friend, Pauly ( Burt Young ). When heavyweight champ Apollo Creed's ( Carl Weathers ) upcoming fight is cancelled, he and his promoters decide to give an unknown a shot at the title, and pick Rocky. Rocky shows potential, but has never made a commitment to anything. Mickey (Burgess Meredith) wants to throw him out of the gym because he doesn't take boxing seriously enough. But Apollo's offer gives Rocky a chance to see himself differently. Rocky has a chance to think of himself as someone who can hold his own with the world champion, and once he has that image of himself, it is just a matter of taking the steps to get there. Rocky also finds courage to get closer to Adrian, and to help her value herself for her strengths. Each sees the other as loveable, as no one has before. This, as much as anything, is what allows both of them to bloom.

Is It Any Good?

This satisfying, classic boxing movie offers some decent messages. Rocky is realistic about his goal. He does not need to win. He just needs to acquit himself with dignity, to show that he is in the same league as the champion. In order to achieve that goal, he will risk giving everything he has, risk even the small pride of an unbroken nose. He develops enough self-respect to risk public disgrace. This is a big issue for teens -- adolescence has been characterized as the years in which everything centers around the prayer, "God, don't let me be embarrassed today." Rocky begins as someone afraid to give his best in case it is not good enough, and becomes someone who suspects that his best is enough to achieve his goals, and is willing to test himself to find out.

It's worth taking a look at Creed as well. Like the hare in the Aesop fable, he underestimates his opponent. He is so sure of himself, and so busy working on the business side of the fight that he comes to the fight unprepared.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the appeal of the underdog character like Rocky . What other historical or literary characters fit this profile?

What messages did you take away from the movie about violence ? What about love? Perseverance?

What cinematic techniques amp up the drama of this story?

How do the characters in Rocky demonstrate gratitude , self-control , and perseverance ? Why are these important character strengths ?

Movie Details

• In theaters : January 1, 1976
• On DVD or streaming : February 8, 2005
• Cast : Burt Young , Sylvester Stallone , Talia Shire
• Director : John G. Avildsen
• Inclusion Information : Female actors
• Studio : MGM/UA
• Genre : Drama
• Topics : Sports and Martial Arts
• Character Strengths : Gratitude , Perseverance , Self-control
• Run time : 119 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG
• Last updated : April 17, 2024

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