Sylvester Stallone isn’t happy about the rights to Rocky

Rocky Balboa
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Sylvester Stallone used social media this weekend to decry the Winklers, producers of the Rocky and Creed films. 

Multi-millionaire Sylvester Stallone has stepped away from playing Rocky Balboa, perhaps for good, but that doesn’t mean that he’s done fighting. The star of the beloved franchise took to social media this weekend to throw some shade at the longtime producers of the Rocky and Creed franchises, Irvin Winkler and his son David.

The younger Winkler has recently published a memoir entitled The Arrangement: A Love Story, an event that seems to have spurred a frustrated Stallone into action. The star, who wrote the first film and bought the character to life on the silver screen, called the book “by far the worst” he’d ever read, denouncing it as “unbearable worthless dreck [that] was written by the painfully untalented David Winkler”. Four stars then, Sly?

Stallone’s continued lack of rights over the Rocky franchise is the key issue here, with the Winklers retaining control and financial ownership over the films since the first movie’s release in 1976. This is an issue that Stallone has taken umbrage with before, but he really pulled no punches this time with a venomous personal attack, stating ““If it wasn’t for Winkler there would’ve been at least another three Rocky’s, that would’ve been wonderful,” Stallone added. “Frankly that crew are the worst unhunman beings I’ve ever met in the movie industry. I will forever love the loyal fans and keep punching.!!! REMEMBER IT FEELS GOOD TO CLEAR YOUR HEART.”

Where this leaves the planned streaming project that Stallone was working on, remains unclear. Stallone won’t be appearing in the next Creed movie  either, but with public-facing comments of this nature, it makes any thoughts of an another turn as his most beloved character highly doubtful indeed.

The Hollywood Reporter

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