Closer Look Into Deal That Made Sylvester Stallone Lose $1.6B In ‘Rocky’ Profits
Stallone was reportedly a struggling actor at the time.
Even if you are one of the most popular people in the world, you are still bound to make mistakes.
This is exactly what happened in the life of Sylvester Stallone.
According to World Boxing News, the American actor made a huge mistake when he signed a production contract with Rocky.
During that time, Stallone was a struggling actor with no attraction in the mainstream media. He was just another desperate actor hoping for a breakthrough in Hollywood.
Eventually, Stallone got an opportunity to elevate his career as he had the greatest film franchises in the palm of his hand. The screenplay about Philadelphia’s underdog boxer-turned-loan shark Rocky Balboa was immaculate.
It would have eventually seen the 76-year-old protected status as a billionaire in the future. However, the world of the movie business worked differently back then. Getting a percentage out of the profits was a big deal for the struggling artists.
When the interest came from Irwin Winkler and MGM Studios, Stallone pounced. With the help of agents Craig T. Rumor and Larry Kubik negotiating the deal, the American actor’s dream became a reality.
However, little did he know that he would find himself at crossroads after making an action movie icon alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger. It was a deal that could either make the 76-year-old one of the biggest movie heroes or forfeit all his claims about a potential profit.
Stallone had no right to argue because he had signed the thing already without knowing that he couldn’t re-negotiate it. To this date, “Sly” Stallone calls it one of the worst days of his life and has a lot of regrets about it.