There’s been a lot of talk about a potential Rocky VII movie being in the works, as well as the possibility Rocky Balboa will appear on TV screens in a prequel.
But will either get over the line in the coming months once the pandemic is under control?
WBN has looked into the matter. Even before Rocky VII was made official, creator Sylvester Stallone had addressed both.
Sylvester Stallone
Speaking to Variety Magazine in an interview last year, Stallone said his idea to bring Rocky Balboa to TV was vetoed.
“There was some conflict there, yes. He (Irwin Winkler) felt in his mind that “Rocky” was primarily a feature film,” Stallone told Variety. “He didn’t see it as being translated for cable. So there was a big bone of contention.”
Asked directly about Rocky VII, which we know has a script being worked on, the 74-year-old added: “There’s a good chance that “Rocky” may ride again.”
Several ideas have been pitched about the seventh installment. The one Stallone was thinking of in 2019 was this…
“Rocky meets a young, angry person who got stuck in this country when he comes to see his sister,” explained the Hollywood superstar. “He takes him into his life. Unbelievable adventures begin.
“They wind up south of the border. It’s very, very timely.”
Pressed to explain if the story would touch on the immigration issues in the U.S. that are headlining the news today, ‘Sly’ responded: “Yes. Do you tell someone that you just met in the street who’s struggling and homeless to get out?
“Or do you take him in? If you take him in, you’re in trouble.”
Rocky VII
Concluding on how Balboa is set to be the biggest part of his future legacy, Stallone knew this was inevitable.
“It is. It’s like my brother. It’s the only voice that I can say what I want without being ridiculed, or being silly, or being precious or sentimental because he is that way.
“Rocky can’t keep quiet. He just talks. He talks and spills his guts. And as a writer, if you do that quite often, it looks as though you’re just lost in the world of exposition.
“But he’s actually saying something. Because of the way he speaks and his naiveté and gentle quality, you listen.
“Rocky can say things that my other characters can never say. There is some resemblance (to me actually being Rocky).”
The success of the ‘Creed’ franchise has certainly opened up the door for more of the ‘Italian Stallion’, who is a timeless part of cinematic culture.
Follow WBN: Facebook @officialworldboxingnews.Twitter @worldboxingnews.
