Like cheesesteaks, the Eagles, and perennial mismanagement of city services, "Rocky" has long been a part of Philadelphia’s DNA. But the man behind the Italian Stallion, Sylvester Stallone, doesn’t have any control over the franchise — and he appears to have had about enough.
Recently, Stallone has posted impassioned messages on his social channels about the "Rocky" ownership situation, targeting producer Irwin Winkler and his family. Winkler, 91, won a best picture in 1977 as a producer for the original "Rocky," and has since been involved in producing each of the film franchise’s entries.
Stallone has since deleted many of the messages, but they’ve been captured by a number of news outlets. And to give you an idea of where he’s at, in one, he depicted Winkler as a vampire sucking the blood from Rocky Balboa’s neck and referred to the producer as the “most hated, untalented, decrepited [sic] producer in Hollywood.”
Plus, he has even taken aim at a reported spinoff film focusing on Rocky’s Russian nemesis, Ivan Drago, writing in a tweet that the Winklers are “beating another wonderful character into the ground” with the movie.
So, yeah, Rocky’s not happy. But what’s the story with the franchise’s ownership, and what’s Stallone been saying?
What’s the deal with 'Rocky' ownership?
"Rocky’s" creation is as much of a Cinderella story as the film’s plot: Stallone conceived, wrote and starred in the film when he was up and coming. He went on to appear as Balboa in all of the franchise’s films, directed "Rocky II-IV," and returned to his role as Rocky in the "Creed" films.
But not owning the character for which he is perhaps best known has long been a sore spot. As he told Variety in 2019, on the first film, he was paid about $75,000 for the "Rocky" screenplay and his acting work, and given 10 net points. In all, Stallone said, he earned about $2.5 million on the first film, but has “zero ownership of 'Rocky.'”
Winkler, meanwhile told Variety that Stallone “made way, way more than that — of that I am sure.”
Stallone added that when "Rocky III" came out in 1982, he started asking for a piece of the franchise’s ownership “since I invented it,” but his attorney at the time advised that wouldn’t be possible. Ultimately, he said, he didn’t press the matter.
“I think there was a certain code of business conduct, maybe not as much now, but back then, that you don’t ruffle the feathers of the golden goose,” Stallone said. “When I finally confronted them [just before 'Rocky IV' in 1985], I said, ‘Does it bother you guys that I’ve written every word, I’ve choreographed it, I’ve been loyal to you, I’ve promoted it, directed it and I don’t have 1% that I could leave for my children?’ And the quote was, ‘You got paid.’ And that was the end of the conversation.”
What’s Stallone saying now?
Stallone has ramped up his messaging online in recent weeks. According to Deadline, that began in earnest last month, when Stallone posted a message on his Instagram asking for Winkler to give him “what’s left” of his "Rocky" rights back.
“After IRWIN controlling ROCKY for over 47 years, and now CREED, I really would like have [sic] at least a little WHAT’s LEFT of my RIGHTS back, before passing it on to ONLY YOUR CHILDREN,” Stallone wrote. The message reportedly included an image of Winkler with the body of a snake.
“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 concluded.
Stallone later posted another since-deleted message in response to news of "Drago," a "Rocky" spinoff about villain Ivan Drago, being set to start production.
“Heartbreaker … Just found this out … ONCE AGAIN, IRWIN WINKLER, this PATHETIC 94 year old PRODUCER and HIS MORONIC VULTURE CHILDREN, Charles and David, are once again picking clean THE BONES of another wonderful character I created without even telling me,” Stallone wrote, according to IGN. “I APOLOGIZE to the FANS, I never wanted ROCKY characters to be exploited by these parasites.”
He added that actor Dolph Lundgren, who played Ivan Drago in "Rocky IV," “NEVER told me about what was going on” with the film. However, Stallone wrote, he has “nothing but respect” for the actor.
Stallone harped on the issue in another since-deleted post with Winkler depicted as a vampire. In that message, he reportedly wrote that “Throughout history so many artists in every industry, recording, painting, writing, you name it have been destroyed by these blood suckers who have destroyed so many families, lining their pockets with other people work.”
Dolph sets the record straight
On Monday, Lundgren took to his own Instagram page to “set the record straight” about the apparent Drago spinoff, which the actor says isn’t yet officially happening, Entertainment Weekly reports.
“There’s no approved script, no deals in place, no director, and I was personally under the impression that my friend Sly Stallone was involved as a producer or even as an actor,” Lundgren wrote on Instagram. “There was a press leak last week which was unfortunate. In touch with Mr. Balboa — just so all the fans can relax … There ya go.”
Philadelphia fans respond
Fans, meanwhile have thrown their support behind Stallone. A Change.org petition calling for creative control over Balboa to be returned to Stallone has more than 1,200 signatures. It was, of course, started by a Philadelphia man.
“As a proud Philadelphian, I’d absolutely love to see Sly back to highlight our beautiful city once again in one of his movies,” said petition organizer Tony DeGennaro.
The petition, DeGennaro added, has since been shared on Instagram by Stallone himself.
So where does all this leave "Rocky?"
That’s anybody’s guess — but it’s not likely that Winkler is going to give up shares of the franchise to Stallone out of the kindness of his heart. Especially, you know, after being caricatured as a snake and a vampire.
But it’s not as if Stallone is out of ideas. In 2019, Stallone revealed in a Variety interview that Rocky “may ride again” in a new film in which the beloved boxer meets a young fighter who is living in the United States undocumented. Negotiations for the film were in the works, and Winkler said that he and Stallone were “anxious to make it.” Nothing has yet come of that film.
Unfortunately, though, Stallone has said a number of times that he has hung up his gloves when it comes to playing Rocky. In 2018, Stallone released an emotional goodbye — again, in a since-deleted Instagram post — to the character, writing in a video caption that it was “my ultimate privilege to have been able to create and play this meaningful character,” and that “all things must pass … and end.”
What’s more, he won’t be appearing in the upcoming "Creed III," which is set for release in March. Stallone wrote on Instagram in April 2021 that the movie “will be done but I won’t be in it” — news that a representative confirmed to the Hollywood Reporter. In June, Stallone reiterated his absence from the film in an interview with Metro UK, saying that he “bowed out of that one” because the film “takes it in a different direction.”
Which, admittedly, is kind of a bummer. But, hey, there’s always "Rambo," right?
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