Nicolai Haugsted
If Hollywood absolutely wants to continue the story of The Italian Stallion, they should go in a different direction—and the man who created him in the first place knows how.
Sylvester Stallone has spent half a century alongside some of Hollywood’s most recognizable action heroes.
Although the actor has long passed retirement age, his career continues to thrive. His new memoir, The Steps, has garnered attention, while the gangster series Tulsa King is soon returning for its fourth season.
Meanwhile, Hollywood is developing I Play Rocky, which tells the story of Stallone’s journey to his breakthrough with the 1976 boxing classic.
But the 80-year-old actor apparently hasn’t had enough of the character who made him world-famous.
In fact, Stallone has now presented an idea that could send the Rocky universe in an entirely new direction.
Wants to Turn Back Time Several Decades
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Stallone states that he wants to explore Rocky Balboa’s youth, long before the boxer got his first big chance in the ring.
The plan is to meet the character as a mere 16-year-old and tell the story of the people and experiences that shaped him.
And Stallone has already given concrete thought to the plot.
“You meet Rocky’s father, his horrible mother, and his half-brother. Because the studio cut it out, many people don’t know that the loan shark Gazzo was his half-brother, so they grew up together,” he explains.
Gazzo was played by Joe Spinell in the original film, where he served as Rocky’s employer.
According to Stallone, a prequel could thus shed new light on the relationship between the characters and simultaneously show a more vulnerable side of the future boxing legend.
Adrian and Mickey Also Included
Stallone’s idea, however, isn’t just about Rocky’s family.
The actor also wants to show how the boxer’s relationships with some of the series’ most beloved characters began.
“And then you see Adrian. He’s known Adrian and Paulie for ten years, and Mickey is 31 and a loser,” Stallone explains.
Adrian, played by Talia Shire, became Rocky’s great love in the original films, while her brother Paulie, played by Burt Young, was a regular part of the boxer’s inner circle.
Mickey, made famous by Burgess Meredith, later became Rocky’s aging trainer and mentor.
Stallone thus envisions a universe where all the familiar characters are still young and have not yet found their place in life.
“It would be fantastic because it would again be a really good portrayal of that generation of 16- and 17-year-olds,” he says.
Rambo Already Receiving Similar Treatment
Although Rocky’s youth still only exists as an idea, another of Stallone’s iconic characters is already making a comeback in a younger version.
Hollywood is working on a prequel to Rambo, with Noah Centineo set to play John Rambo during the Vietnam War.
Stallone is attached as an executive producer, and the film is expected to premiere next summer.
At the same time, interest in Stallone’s own story continues with I Play Rocky, which has received positive early reactions after screenings at the Toronto Film Festival.
Stallone himself is not involved in the production but has publicly supported the film.
Thus, both the man behind Rocky and his famous boxing character are once again relevant in Hollywood.
The question now is whether a film company will seize Stallone’s latest idea and let audiences meet Rocky Balboa before he had even learned to fight his way to the top.
