The Life of Hollywood Action Hero Sylvester Stallone

When United Artists agreed to make Rocky with Stallone in the lead, the budget stayed small by Hollywood standards. The studio had wanted a more established star, but keeping Stallone meant accepting a cheaper, riskier production.

That low-budget pressure shaped the movie’s raw feel. Later financial records list the production budget around $1 million, while the film eventually earned about $225 million worldwide. At the start, though, no one knew it would become a classic.