Rocky Balboa actor Sylvester Stallone is not pleased about the Drago spinoff news.
For Sylvester Stallone, the Rocky film series is what really put him on the map as one of the biggest stars of his time. The first film, which he also wrote, was released in 1976 and has gone on to become a classic, receiving the Academy Award for Best Picture and spawning five more sequels and a sequel/spinoff series Creed. Now, a spinoff centered on Ivan and Viktor Drago is said to be in the works, but Stallone is not happy about it.
Sylvester Stallone is fighting over the rights to Rocky.
In recent weeks, Sylvester Stallone has been making headlines due to his public battle with producer Irwin Winkler over the rights to the Rocky franchise as well as Creed. With the news regarding the Drago spinoff, Stallone pulled no punches on his frustrations with Irwin Winkler:
When it came to the creation of the first Rocky, the star/writer was paid around $75,000 for both his screenplay and acting fees. He also earned around 10 net points and with that taken into account, he was paid around $2.5 million for the original film. The Academy Award-nominee recently called out Irwin Winkler, the 91-year-old producer on his official Instagram to ask for “what’s left of his rights back” of the franchise in a post that has since been deleted. With the news regarding the Drago spinoff, it’s clear that this drama between Stallone and Winkler will continue for the time being until some settlement is reached.
Rocky Balboa and Ivan Drago were last seen in Creed II. Here is the synopsis:
Life has become a balancing act for Adonis Creed. Between personal obligations and training for his next big fight, he is up against the challenge of his life. Facing an opponent with ties to his family’s past only intensifies his impending battle in the ring. Rocky Balboa is there by his side through it all and, together, Rocky and Adonis will confront their shared legacy, question what’s worth fighting for, and discover that nothing’s more important than family. Creed II is about going back to basics to rediscover what made you a champion in the first place, and remembering that, no matter where you go, you can’t escape your history.
Directed by Steven Caple Jr. from a script written by Cheo Hodari Coker and Sylvester Stallone, Creed II stars Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, Dolph Lundgren, Wood Harris, Andre Ward, and Buddy Marcelle.
Source: Instagram