Slighted Stallone fights for slice of Rocky rights

The Hollywood star, 76, has taken a swing at producer Irwin Winkler over control of the six-film franchise, which has grossed £1.4bn ($2.46bn).

Sylvester Stallone is fighting for a slice of the rights to the Rocky film franchise, which he wrote and starred in. Picture: AFP

Sylvester Stallone came out swinging against the producer of the Rocky film series as the actor demanded a share of the rights to the blockbuster franchise.

The Hollywood star, 76, is synonymous with the role of Rocky Balboa but said on social media that his lack of a financial stake in the series was “painful”. Saying he had “zero ownership” of Rocky, he called on Irwin Winkler, the producer of all six films and the spin-off Creed series, to hand over “at least a little [of] what’s left of my rights back”.

Very happy Rocky Producer IRWIN AND MARGO and family staying heathy and well fed while CONTROLLING All the Rocky all these many years ! Bon appétit! KeepPunching! https://t.co/hNmjfOxhhe

— Sylvester Stallone (@TheSlyStallone) July 18, 2022

Stallone said he wanted to leave a stake in the franchise, which has grossed £1.4bn ($2.46bn), to his five children.

Alongside a picture of Winkler, 91, depicted as a snake with a knife protruding from his mouth, Stallone wrote on Instagram that it would be a “fair gesture” for Winkler to share some of the spoils. “This is a painful subject that eats at my soul,” Stallone wrote. “Because I wanted to leave something of Rocky for my children.”

Sylvester Stallone in Rocky III fighting Mr T. Picture: Supplied

Stallone wrote and starred in all six Rocky films, beginning in 1976. They made him a superstar, but while he has made tens of millions of dollars from box-office receipts, he does not own a stake in the franchise.

He told Variety in 2019: “It was shocking that it never came to be, but I was told, ‘Hey, you got paid, so what are you complaining about?’”.

Winkler was “surprised” by the complaints. He pointed out that Stallone had a lucrative deal in which he made money from each instalment in the franchise, including more than £8m on each of the Creed films.

The Times