Rocky 4K UHD Boxed set - 2/28/23

[Jar Jar Stinks]

Starting with Rocky II, Stallone could've renegotiated his contract. The movies don't work without him.

Also, who gives a shit? He's out buying and selling houses worth tens of millions of dollars. He's earned 400 million during his career. I'm pretty sure he and his brood are not going hungry tonight without the rights to Rocky.

[IndyMLVC]

Originally Posted by BrandonJF

Yeah, and I am lost as to how Winkler is a villain for making that deal. Stallone already brokered the whole "starring in the movie" thing that made his career. I never feel too sorry for actors/creators who are desperate for work, make a deal, then become "victims" when that deal benefits a studio/producer more than it benefts them. If I create something revoutionary while working for my current employer, I sure won't own it.

I really don't get it - you'd think Winkler stole something from Stallone instead of Stallone voluntarily handing rights over. Now it's up to Winkler to help support Stallone's kids?

But, I love Stallone and he knows more about it than I do, so more power to him.

I just have one question: Why now? Why is all this anger coming out now...after almost 50 years? What changed in his life that this is suddenly a priority? If he was forced out of Creed 3, that wrapped months ago.

[steve_dave]

Originally Posted by IndyMLVC

I just have one question: Why now? Why is all this anger coming out now...after almost 50 years? What changed in his life that this is suddenly a priority? If he was forced out of Creed 3, that wrapped months ago.

His kids.

Before his actual children, Stallone was broke in Hollywood. He wrote Rocky in the 1970s and eventually sold it to Irvin Winkler. However, he never got the copyright to Rocky which fell to Winkler. As per union rules, Stallone gets a credit but he is not entitled to earning continuous revenue aka equity value of his work. He wants his children to have that as it was his first success.

[Jar Jar Stinks]

Originally Posted by steve_dave

His kids.

Before his actual children, Stallone was broke in Hollywood. He wrote Rocky in the 1970s and eventually sold it to Irvin Winkler. However, he never got the copyright to Rocky which fell to Winkler. As per union rules, Stallone gets a credit but he is not entitled to earning continuous revenue aka equity value of his work. He wants his children to have that as it was his first success.

Why? So his children can take a picture of it and put it on Instagram? That argument doesn't make any sense.

[Sky_Captain]

But, they can have The Expendables brand...

[steve_dave]

Originally Posted by Jar Jar Stinks

Why? So his children can take a picture of it and put it on Instagram? That argument doesn't make any sense.

He wants the money for his children’s inheritance. Equity value is the money coming in from the brand itself.

[Gacivory]

Originally Posted by Sky_Captain

But, they can have The Expendables brand...

It's very expandable.

[Jar Jar Stinks]

Originally Posted by steve_dave

He wants the money for his children’s inheritance. Equity value is the money coming in from the brand itself.

So? I want my kids to inherit more than I have too. Complaining won't fix that.

His net worth of +$300 million isn't enough for his kids? They'll all be fine.

[Batman90]

Hopefully this won’t include the Creed movies only the Rocky movies.

[mlabonte21]

Agreed-- not really getting why he's coming to this realization now, upon the release of the [checks notes] NINTH installment of this series.

40+ years to do SOME kind of negotiation. Sucks--but his kids should have PLENTY of his hundreds of millions to fall back on.

Did Stallone and Willis take a bigger bath on Planet Hollywood than they let on??

This mad scramble for 'money for the kids' by these guys with like half-a-billion net worths is a bit bizarre.

[Jar Jar Stinks]

Originally Posted by mlabonte21

Did Stallone and Willis take a bigger bath on Planet Hollywood than they let on??

They were never really owners. They were paid in shares of the company to make celebrity appearances. I'm guessing they sold off those shares long ago.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by BrandonJF

Yeah, and I am lost as to how Winkler is a villain for making that deal. Stallone already brokered the whole "starring in the movie" thing that made his career. I never feel too sorry for actors/creators who are desperate for work, make a deal, then become "victims" when that deal benefits a studio/producer more than it benefts them. If I create something revoutionary while working for my current employer, I sure won't own it.

I really don't get it - you'd think Winkler stole something from Stallone instead of Stallone voluntarily handing rights over. Now it's up to Winkler to help support Stallone's kids?

But, I love Stallone and he knows more about it than I do, so more power to him.

It's an interesting 'what if?' kinda deal. As you allude to, Stallone got a massive break by having the starring role and who knows, did he have to horse trade his rights to the character (I haven't read the IMDB trivia in a while, lol) in order to be able to play the character? If he'd kept the rights but didn't ultimately play Rocky how would his own career have progressed after that, I mean would he have later become a superstar actor/director commanding millions of dollars per film (and a net worth estimated at $450M) or would he have had a somewhat quieter and far less lucrative career as a writer, perhaps still as an actor just not as a leading man?

Sliding doors aside, Stallone made Rocky but playing Rocky also made Stallone. Even without a tiny fraction of the franchise that he created he's set up not just for this life but many many others on top. I get that he wants to have this for its legacy value more than anything, something that'll stay in his family and get passed on from generation to generation, but I'm quite sure his kids are gonna be looked after and will in turn look after their dad's artistic legacy (which is itself not insubstantial) when he passes.

It's not a good look for Sly to air this in public, but clearly this is something that's been eating away at him for 45+ years and as he's nearer the end than the beginning he's starting to sweat a bit.

[Jar Jar Stinks]

I dunno. As evidenced by this cringefest, Stallone participated in turning the legacy of Rocky into a bit of a clown show.

Sylvester Stallone Meets Rocky Balboa (90s) HD - YouTube

"Rocky Balboa" was redemptive, but there's a lot of cheese in this franchise. I think Stallone is confusing the word "legacy" with "annuity."

[Markgway]

I could be wrong, but I think Stallone more regrets the loss (or lack) of control over his character(s) than just the money. He was involved in Creed, he was consulted. But it appears that Drago has been announced without anyone telling him, let alone asking him, and it's the straw that broke the camel's back.

[gates70]

Originally Posted by Batman90

Hopefully this won’t include the Creed movies only the Rocky movies.

Yeah, why not get everything we can

[Ryan1973]

Originally Posted by Batman90

Hopefully this won’t include the Creed movies only the Rocky movies.

I doubt it will include the Creed movies. There will probably be a separate box set for that once Creed III is released on disc.

[manwithnoname64]

Meh, he took part in Rocky V. Any complaints about ruining the characters or franchise at this point should look back at that travesty of a movie. I only acknowledge its existence because he’s complaining about what’s happening now. Otherwise, I’d continue to say that movie never existed.

[BNex99]

Originally Posted by steve_dave

Many people mistakenly assume making a movie or TV show can set you up for life but unless that person has the foresight to see what the studio or production company will do, you are not going to constantly be making money on that project.

Fair enough, and like I said, I'm not totally out of sympathy with what he's wanting. Something like this could set a precedent for other creators in similar situations who really do need the money.

But again, my main issue is the tone Sly is taking with all this. He posted a fairly anti-Semitic image on Instagram, and even though he at least deleted that one, he's continued to go at this like a spoiled teen who's not getting his way. It's just weird.

[mlabonte21]

Originally Posted by manwithnoname64

Meh, he took part in Rocky V. Any complaints about ruining the characters or franchise at this point should look back at that travesty of a movie. I only acknowledge its existence because he’s complaining about what’s happening now. Otherwise, I’d continue to say that movie never existed.

[Batman90]

Originally Posted by Markgway

I could be wrong, but I think Stallone more regrets the loss (or lack) of control over his character(s) than just the money. He was involved in Creed, he was consulted. But it appears that Drago has been announced without anyone telling him, let alone asking him, and it's the straw that broke the camel's back.

Sly and everyone should know and understand he has no rights what so ever and he needs to move on. If he’s that worried about it you think he would try and buy the rights or part of it. Sly used to be a big name in the action movies yet he decides that now that he has very little star power left that he can go around making demands to get rights to something he sold willingly to get it made.