Sylvester Stallone, after years of silence, has finally spoken out about his frustration at not being able to own the property. “Rocky” franchise by throwing punches at producer Irwin Winkler, but why doesn’t the star have any ownership of the series he created?
He vented his frustration over his lack of a stake in franchise VarietyHe said that he has been in 2019 “zero ownership of ‘Rocky,’”Through several Instagram posts, Stallone vented his anger at Winkler. “remarkably untalented and parasitical.”
Stallone blasted Winkler for not owning the franchise in July and demanded a “fair gesture”From the “Rocky” producer, saying, “I really would like to have at least a little [of] WHAT’S LEFT of my rights back, before passing it on to ONLY YOUR CHILDREN.”
After you have written and starred in “Rocky,”Stallone revealedAlthough he made large profits, he ended up with no ownership of the 1976 original or any films that followed. Despite profiting from the film’s on the back-end, the 76-year-old star currently holds no ownership of the eight films in the “Rocky”Franchise, including six “Rocky”Films, spinoffs, and sequel series “Creed,” which has two movies with a third film slated to be released in Nov. 2022.
Here’s an overview of Stallone’s contentious ownership battle:
Why doesn’t Stallone have any stake in the series?
Stallone was not written into the book. “Rocky” ownership and was unsuccessful pushing for the rights later into his and the franchise’s career.
According to VarietyThe “Rambo”After star was given ownership, star tried to get it. “Rocky II” “Rocky III”He made even greater dividends than the original film, but Jake Bloom, his attorney, argued that Stallone would not be entitled to any rights.
Since Stallone was “preoccupied with other things”And was “in a pretty weak position to say anything,”He refrained from pressing the subject at the moment.
Is Stallone a possible owner of the studio?
Stallone admitted that he initially felt powerless to fight to get a stake in the franchise. However, he told Variety that he met MGM, who holds the rights to the films in 1985, before the release of “Rocky IV,”Despite the “certain code of business conduct”This should not be discouraged “ruffl[ing] the feathers of the golden goose.”
“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?’”Variety interviewed Stallone. “And the quote was, ‘You got paid.’ And that was the end of the conversation.”
Was Stallone still making money from the franchise? What was the amount?
Yes, Stallone still enjoyed significant profits from the films. Variety claims that Stallone earned $35,000, which includes $25,000 for the screenplay, and $2,000 for acting. He also noted that he made $2.5 million from the first film’s sales on the backend.
Stallone reported that he earned $75,000 in addition to his salary. “Rocky II”For $120,000 and up “Rocky III,”Along with millions of dollars on the backend.
Winkler: Why is Stallone pursuing Winkler?
Stallone’s recent social-media posts accuse Winkler, who served as a producer for the “Rocky” “Creed”Films, withholding ownership from Stallone.
While it is unclear if Winkler inhibited Stallone’s ownership in any way throughout the franchise’s history, Stallone evidently blames Winkler — and other producers — for financially taking advantage of artists and profiting from their work.
“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!”Stallone wrote the following in an Instagram post that has since been deleted.
