USA: Sylvester Stallone and his A- list friends, including Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis, premiere "Rocky Balboa"

Record ID: 708969

  • Title: USA: Sylvester Stallone and his A- list friends, including Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis, premiere "Rocky Balboa"
  • Date: 14th December 2006
  • Summary: FANS WAITING FOR SYLVESTER STALLONE PAN TO STALLONE ARRIVING AND WAVING AT CAMERA
  • Embargoed: 29th December 2006 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVA2MCE2G1PW6BPH9SJV56BEQI7H
  • Story Text: Sylvester Stallone gets back in the ring for the sixth and final time with "Rocky Balboa," which continues the saga of the beloved boxer from south Philadelphia.
    Stallone, his co-stars and friends premiered the film at the Manns Chinese Theater in Hollywood on Tuesday (December 13).
    Stallone decided to take another jab at the franchise because he was disappointed in "Rocky V" back in 1990 and felt that he needed to end the series on an up note that the followers of the series would enjoy.
    "The fifth one (Rocky V) was supposed to be the last one but it wasn't it, there was no final sigh of relief, okay, good bye Rocky and thanks for the ride, this one is that," Stallone explained.
    "Yeah, at the end of the film he just waves good bye and that's it," he added.
    "Balboa" is the sixth movie in a series that began with the 1976 film "Rocky". Stallone famously raised about 1 million U.S. dollars (USD) to make the low-budget film based on a screenplay he wrote and would not sell to Hollywood's studios unless he was the star. The original movie tells of a hapless boxer, Rocky "The Italian Stallion" Balboa, who overcomes huge odds to better his life. It became a surprise smash hit, earning over 117 million (USD) at US box offices (362 million USD in today's currency), winning the Oscar for best film, and making Stallone a worldwide star. Four other movies followed the Philadelphia boxer through various stages - career success, family troubles and bankruptcy. Stallone said the lovable lug has been championed by fans because he is humble, can be self-deprecating and is sometimes fearful of what life offers. Stallone said he wanted a nobler ending to the "Rocky" series than in 1990's "Rocky V," in which Balboa fights a young boxer he trained to help save himself from financial collapse.
    In "Rocky Balboa", which opens in the United States on December 20, audiences meet the champ back in his working-class Philadelphia neighborhood. His wife Adrian ( played by Talia Shire), the love of his life, has died. Rocky is grief-stricken and estranged from his son.
    "There is a pattern of many great actors returning to touch sort of the energies. Like Sean Connery came back with "Never Say Never Again" many years later (now) Sylvester 30 years later. It's a very magical thing to touch the energy of the character that you created," Shire said at the premiere.
    In the film, Rocky tells old boxing stories to customers lingering at his Italian restaurant, Adrian's, until a television network runs a computer simulated fight between Balboa, now in his late 50s, and current heavyweight champ, Mason "The Line" Dixon played by Antonio Tarver.
    "Who wouldn't want to be in Rocky Balboa"? This is a great franchise, working alongside Sylvester Stallone is incredible in itself. I am the luckiest man in the world right now," said Tarver who is the former Light Heavyweight Champion of the World.
    Stallone, who wrote and directed Balboa, said he spent six and half years trying to get the movie made and most Hollywood studio executives scoffed at the idea.
    Eventually new management came in at the MGM studio which owns the Rocky films, and they helped Stallone raise 20 million (USD) - a small amount by studio standards - to make the movie.
    "It's fantastic I saw it Monday night," said California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who also attended the Wednesday night premiere.
    Rocky Balboa is a lot like the previous movies - right down to Rocky in his grey sweat suit running up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art to the song "Gonna Fly Now".
    "We have been boxing fans but you know Rocky started it. Before I was watching 'pay per views' when I was a kid I was watching 'Rocky'. You get older you can rent the pay per views and all that but we started with 'Rocky' those were the boxing matches that we watched back in the day," said DJ Paul of the Oscar winning group Three Six Mafia who wrote a song for the soundtrack. Cynics wonder why another Rocky? Even Stallone admitted to being a cynic but realized that this fighter or the fighter in "Rambo" are not through just yet.
    "People said 'Oh another "Rambo"?' It's the same things as another "Rocky" if you can get into the psychology of what a Vietnam vet is still going through. Being ostracized by his country even though he gave his best I think there is something in that," Stallone said on the red carpet.
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