Why wasn’t Sylvester Stallone in ‘Creed 3’ – Miscellaneous

© MGM / courtesy Everett / Everett Collection

Michael B. Jordan’s “Creed III” is now in theaters, which means plenty of moviegoers may find themselves asking the same question: Where the hell is Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa?

Stallone starred opposite Jordan in “Creed” and “Creed II,” and even earned an Academy Award nomination for his supporting actor thanks to his role in 2015’s first installment. But Stallone is completely absent from “Creed III.” While Rocky’s name is dropped several times in the text, his whereabouts are never made clear.

Stallone’s absence from “Creed 3” marks the first time in nine films and 47 years that Rocky Balboa has not appeared in a “Rocky” film. The reason for Stallone’s departure is twofold: He wasn’t the biggest fan of creatively directing “Creed III,” and his feud against longtime franchise producer Irwin Winkler continues.

Written by Kenan Coogler and Zach Palin from a story they cooked with original Creed director Ryan Coogler, Creed 3 is a much darker take on the prestige Rocky series. like diverse Film critic Owen Gleiberman noted in his review that “Creed III” is a sports drama that feels more like a thriller inspired by “Cape Fear” than a traditional “Rocky” movie.

“It’s an unfortunate situation because I know what it could have been,” Stallone said. THR About the disapproval of the tone of the sequel. “It went in a very different direction than I would have taken it. It’s a different philosophy—the philosophy of Irwin Winkler and Michael B. Jordan. I wish them well, but I’m more emotional. I like my heroes to get beaten up, but I don’t want them to go into that dark space. I just feel that People have enough darkness.

Jordan was also interested in crafting the movie Adonis Creed, which was about Adonis. The first “Creed” focused on the relationship between Adonis and Rocky, while “Creed 2” pushed Adonis down his own path. For Jordan, it made sense for “Creed 3” to show Adonis without Rocky’s protection.

“First and foremost, Sly and Rocky’s DNA is through this entire franchise,” Jordan said. HOT97 before the opening of the third film. You can’t have these movies [without that]. I think it’s that underdog spirit that binds the underdog in all of us… I want Adonis to stand on his own two feet. In order to do that, we had to go into the past. What were those transformative years, childhood traumas that shaped [Adonis] today? I think the room for this story was about Adonis Creed moving on with his family, getting him to move on. That’s kind of how we spread the story to this story.”

Stallone’s clash with Winkler is an even bigger reason for his absence in “Creed III,” so big that it could mean Stallone never played Rocky again. The two have long feuded over the rights to the “Rocky” franchise, which Winkler has owned since the original 1976 Academy Award-winning film. Stallone naively sold the rights to Winkler all those years when he was a struggling actor and clearly unaware of the character’s potential franchise potential.

Talking to SiriusXM hosts Jessica Shaw Last November, Stallone said it had been a “tough emotional journey” severing ties with the “Rocky” franchise for the “Creed 3” movie. The actor added that he needed to do this because “you can’t make peace with someone who was so outrageous, in my opinion.” Stallone was referring to Winkler, of course.

Stallone first opened up about his displeasure with the rights to “Rocky” in a 2019 interview with diverse. Although he netted in the original film — which cost just over $1 million to produce and grossed $225 million worldwide — and received his first gross in the early sequel, Stallone doesn’t hold the rights to the characters.

“I have no ownership in ‘Rocky’,” Stallone said. diverse on time. “Every word, every syllable, every grammatical error was entirely my fault. It was shocking that it never happened, but I was told, ‘Hey, you got paid, what are you complaining about?’ I was furious.”

The standoff between Stallone and Winkler over the rights to “Rocky” heats up again in 2022. Stallone made an Instagram post in July featuring a picture of Winkler as a snake with a tongue knife.

“Absolutely gorgeous portrait of the great ‘Rocky’/’Creed’ producer, Irwin Winkler, from one of the country’s greatest,” Stallone wrote in the caption. After Irwin has been dominating ‘Rocky’ for over 47 years, and now ‘Creed’, I’d really like a little bit of… [of] What’s left of my rights, before you just give them to your children – I think that would be a fair gesture from this 93-year-old gentleman? “

A few weeks later, MGM announced that it was developing a new movie called “Rocky” that would focus on the Drago family. Dolph Lundgren starred as Rocky’s Russian rival Ivan Drago in “Rocky IV”, while Florian Munteanu appeared as Ivan’s son in “Creed II”. Robert Laughton was hired to write the screenplay. Stallone has spoken out against the split and said he was never told about its development.

“Another heartbreaker…just discovered this…once again this sick 94-year-old producer and his useless moron children, Charles and David, are once again picking out the bones of another great character I created without even telling me,” Stallone wrote. on instagram. “Apologies to the fans, I never wanted these parasites to exploit the rocky characters.

“By the way, I have nothing but respect for Dolph, but I wish he’d told me what’s going on behind my back,” Stallone added at the time. “Keep your true friends close.”

Lundgren then got involved by telling the “Rocky” fans to relax after Stallone called the sub. “Just to set the record straight regarding a possible ‘Drago’ chapter. No approved script, no deals, no director, and I personally was under the impression that my friend Sly Stallone was involved as a producer or even as an actor,” Lundgren wrote. It leaked to the press last week which was unfortunate. In touch with Mr. Balboa – just so all the fans can relax… There you go. “

Stallone and Lundgren have since crushed beef, but that’s not the case when it comes to Stallone and Winkler. As long as the producer holds the rights to the franchise, it doesn’t look like moviegoers will ever see Stallone’s Rocky again on the big screen.

“Creed III” is now playing in theaters across the country.