Sylvester Stallone's upcoming documentary Sly explores how Rocky Balboa got his name, CBR reported with information from Rolling Stone.
The Netflix documentary follows Stallone's rise from obscurity to action star.
A Rocky by any other name
The Rocky scriptwriter, director and star chose to name his arguably most famous character after Balboa Boulevard. That was the name of the street where he first lived when he moved to Los Angeles in the 1970s.
Thom Zimny, the documentary's director said to Rolling Stone, “This story perfectly encapsulated the same themes I observed in Stallone’s early days, which remain relevant today: self-belief, the power of dreams and ambitions, the inherent beauty of making mistakes, and the serendipitous moments of being in the right place at the right time. Sly had a knack for seeing the world as a source of creative inspiration despite the circumstances.”
The documentary is filled with stories of Sly's beginnings, including being rescued by none other than The Fonz, Henry Winkler, when he had car troubles.
Zimny told the magazine, “I hope the audience takes away a new understanding of Sylvester Stallone the man, the filmmaker, and the artist. I wish for them to recognize how Sly’s movies have woven into the fabric of their lives, while also fostering an understanding and appreciation for his work and dedication to storytelling.”
Sly will delve into the iconic actor's five decades in the industry. It chronicles his beginnings as a struggling actor in Hollywood, and how he ended up writing his life story at the time filled with rejection, desperation and financial instability and turned into Rocky.
The 1976 film launched Stallone's career. Rocky was the highest grossing film in 1976, earning $225 million globally. Adjusted for inflation, that would be the equivalent of $1.2 billion in today's money.
The film also received three Academy Award nominations, winning all three, including Best Picture. Since then, there have been six films in the Rocky franchise. Rocky II was released in 1979.
Rocky III was released in 1982. Although it received mixed reviews at the time, the movie now has a lot of fans. This may be in some part due to its theme song, Eye of the Tiger by Survivor. The song earned an Academy Award nomination.
Next came Rocky IV in 1985, which was also released as a director's cut with the title Rocky IV: Rocky vs. Drago. Rocky V was released in 1990 and was the lowest grossing film in the franchise.
Redemption came in 2006 with Rocky Balboa. The sixth film, almost two decades after Rocky V, was the jump off point of the spinoff franchise, Creed. The movie was also the last Rocky film that Burt Young, who played best friend Paulie Pennino, was in.
The actor died this month. Stallone paid tribute to his on-screen best friend and brother-in-law.
Sly will premiere on Netflix on Nov. 3.
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