Sylvester Stallone has led a varied and extremely prosperous career in Hollywood. While he is most renowned within the action genre, he has tackled comedy and drama as well. More recently, he has stepped away from his larger-than-life action persona and took a successful dive into television with the crime series, Tulsa King.
With Stallone’s final outing as Rocky Balboa coming in 2018 with Creed II, and his final turn as Rambo coming in 2019 with Rambo: Last Blood, diehard action fans may feel sad that his time is done as an action hero. However, the legacy of these two iconic characters lives on through two very exciting projects. So, here’s everything we know.
Sylvester Stallone’s Inspiring Rocky Journey To Be Explored in a Movie
Sylvester Stallone’s journey to becoming an overnight sensation is one of determination, resilience, and pure self belief. Prior to starring in the Best Picture-winning Rocky in 1976, literally nobody knew he was. After struggling as an actor, Stallone decided to create his own entry point by writing the screenplay for Rocky. He was offered $250,000 for the script by United Artists, which would have been a life-changing amount of money for the struggling thespian who had recently sold his dog to pay his bills. However, the deal was that Stallone would not be allowed to play the titular character, instead the studio were eying well-known actors like James Caan and Burt Reynolds. To that, Stallone rejected the offer and took a drastic pay cut of $25,000 for the script so that he could play Rocky himself.
Even with this deal in mind, it wasn’t smooth sailing. Stallone had one week to prove himself as an actor or he would be re-cast. Yet, the Italian Stallion rose triumphant and Rocky won Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Film Editing at the 1977 Academy Awards. Stallone went from a complete unknown to a massive star, landing Oscar nominations for Best Actor in a Leading Role and Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen. This incredible story has become one of Hollywood’s most iconic and inspiring recitals of triumph of all time, and Peter Farrelly (Dumb and Dumber, Green Book) is about to turn it into a movie.
I Play Rocky will chart Stallone’s journey from a flat-broke actor living in Los Angeles, struggling to make ends meet, to fighting tooth and nail to portray the character he created and adored with all of his being. The film is described as a drama, however, with Farrelly on board, there may be some comedy thrown in. As of writing, the movie is still in pre-production and the hunt is still on to find the right actor to portray Sylvester Stallone.
John Rambo: Another Iconic Sylvester Stallone Character Will Live On
Sly has been known to keep his characters living throughout his career. There was a total of 6 Rocky movies before Ryan Coogler convinced him to star in Creed and Creed II. The Rambo franchise also transcended from an action drama to a full-on action series across 5 movies. Stallone left Last Blood with somewhat of an open ending, and hinted that Rambo could now be residing on an Indian reservation. However, he has since shut down that idea and confirmed he will not reprise the character. Yet, he has hinted at a potential spin-off series that will focus on the early days of the Vietnam veteran. While this isn’t now happening either, a movie with the same premise is on its way.
According to Deadline, Millennium Media is presenting John Rambo to the Cannes market. The prequel film will chronicle the character’s experiences throughout the Vietnam War and is expected to start production in Thailand in October. Director Jalmari Helander (Sisu, Big Game) and screenwriting duo Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani (Black Adam, The Mauritanian) are part of the project’s attached team. Producer Jonathan Yunger described the movie as “a fresh new chapter to the Rambo legacy” and a “high-concept action-packed experience”. As of writing, Sylvester Stallone is not attached to the movie in any capacity and the film’s lead star has not yet been announced.
What’s Next for Sylvester Stallone?
As Sylvester Stallone’s action career has slowed down, he has leaned back into drama, the genre where it all started for him. He is currently filming Tulsa King season 3, and he has reportedly signed a contract for a fourth season. However, it seems he isn’t opposed to venturing back to butt-kicking territory. The three-time Oscar-nominee is attached to star in Little America, a dystopian sci-fi action movie, and Never Too Old to Die, an action comedy about a Cold War hero’s personal mission to track down a murderer who is taking out former spies at a nursing home.
Read Next: 5 Roles That Prove Sylvester Stallone Crushes Comedy
Follow Us
