EXCLUSIVE: Sylvester Stallone Reveals Why He Is Walking Away From 'Rocky'
Sylvester Stallone has opened up about his reasons for stepping away from 'Rocky' and its legacy.
Nov. 7 2026, Published 8:30 a.m. ET
Rocky is ready to hang up his gloves. After decades of fighting for the rights to his iconic character, Sylvester Stallone said he's giving up on seeking a stake in the blockbuster franchise, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
"God, I have tried!" reveals the 80-year-old Hollywood legend, adding: "There was a lot of maneuvering behind the scenes."
Sylvester Stallone Reveals Bitter Regret Over 'Rocky' Fortune
Sylvester Stallone said he's giving up his fight for an ownership stake in 'Rocky.'
But today – 50 years after the 1976 film made him a box office superstar – Stallone said he has "zero ownership" of Rocky or its Creed spinoffs.
"I was told, 'Hey, you got paid, so what are you complaining about?' I was furious," he recalled.
"Rocky is on TV around the world more than any other Oscar-winning film than The Godfather.
"But you know, time has moved on, and I have been very, very lucky. So I try not to dwell on it."
Stallone was a struggling actor when he spent three days writing the film's script. Producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff offered to buy the screenplay, but Stallone would only agree if he could play the lead.
Not surprisingly, the producers had bigger ideas.
Sylvester Stallone Reveals How He Nearly Lost 'Rocky' Role
Producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff wanted stars such as Robert Redford for the 'Rocky' lead.
"They had [Robert] Redford, Nick Nolte, Jimmy Caan, Ryan O'Neal, Burt Reynolds – who were all in their prime – and then you had some loser named Sylvester who was just naive enough to hang on," recalled Stallone.
At the time, he had only $100 to his name and signed a standard deal that did not give him ownership or an equity stake in the franchise.
According to Stallone, he was paid $35,000 for the first Rocky film.
But thanks to a 10 percent share of the profits, he earned millions after it banked $225million at the global box office.
Sylvester Stallone Slams Hollywood Over 'Rocky' Fortune
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Robert Redford at the Cinémathèque Française in Paris.
To date, the entire franchise of six Rocky and three Creed spinoffs has brought in $1.8billion worldwide.
Looking back, Stallone – who went on to create the action hero John Rambo and now stars on TV's Tulsa King – blames his own naivete for not pushing his Rocky equity issue hard enough.
"You don't want to ruffle the feather of the golden goose," he said, adding: "They say the definition of Hollywood is someone who stabs you in the chest. They don't even hide it."
