Follow us on Google News
Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed
Apart from being a film about boxing, Sylvester Stallone’sRockyfranchise gave importance to the inspirational human story of a sportsman who fights all odds to reach the top. It was this combination of action and emotion that connected audiences across the world to the titular protagonist Rocky Balboa portrayed with conviction by Stallone.
Having always been a sports enthusiast, theCliffhangeractor also harbored interest in creating a narrative based on the highly popular and competitive field of Formula 1. Despite doing all the ground work and research for the script, Stallone was ultimately unable to get the project off the ground and instead, made his filmDrivenbased on the CART Champ Car Series. Looking back, this turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Formula 1.
“The hardest I was ever hit was actually by you”: Not Even 6ft 5in Dolph Lundgren Could Hit as Hard as One WWE God Who Nearly Shattered Sylvester Stallone’s Collarbone With a Single Move
How Sylvester Stallone Saved Formula 1’s Reputation
In 2001,Sylvester Stallonewrote, produced, and starred inDriven, a sports drama based on the CART Champ Car series. The film had a lot of real-time visuals from races across various countries with the involvement of actual owners being incorporated into the narrative. Through this film, Stallone aimed to capture the emotion and passion behind sportsmen and the sport.
The Italian Stallion went neck-deep into the project by personally attending famous Grand Prix races in Europe while attempting to visit the pits to get sound bytes from the crew and drivers to understand what went into the sport beyond mere driving. Unfortunately, the film did not take off and Stallone’s dream for anotherRocky-like sports drama was squashed.
The actor in a statement on February 9th, 2000 (viaGrand Prix 247), revealed the hard realities behind the film failing to materialize. Elaborating on the difficulties of penetrating the walls of Formula 1, Stallone also indirectly took a dig at CEO Bernie Ecclestone for the failure of the sport to open its doors.
“I apologize to fans of F1, but there is a certain individual there who runs the sport and has his own agenda. F1 is very formal and it’s very difficult to get to know people,”
As it turned out, fate was extremely kind to Formula 1.Drivenbecame one of the year’s biggest flops and earned the dubious distinction of being nominated for 7 Razzies. With Formula 1 earning a staggering$887 million in 2023 alone, it became abundantly clear that the sport did not need a Sylvester Stallone to elevate an already thriving model.
“There are projects that I had to turn down”: The $100M Sylvester Stallone Movie Terry Crews Was Forced to Abandon Due to a S*xual Assault Lawsuit
Who Was The Inspiration For Sylvester Stallone’sRocky?
While Sylvester Stallone’s dream of making a Formula 1 film fell flat, his decision to use the CART Champ Series as the backdrop forDrivenadded further insult to injury. But the actor’s instincts for his iconic franchiseRocky, was in complete contrast to the aforementioned debacle. Stallone, who wrote the script for the first film, was inspired by real-life events that led to the creation of the evergreen hero.
While audiences are aware thatThe Expendablesstar used boxing legend Muhammed Ali’s fight as the foundation, it was Ali’s opponent Chuck Wepner’s courage that planted the seed for the story. Wepner, who was no match for the great Ali, was getting battered in the fight, but never gave up and even had moments of brilliance in which he challenged the legend and unbelievably dealt him a knockout blow. His dogged determination resulted in the eureka moment for Stallone who revealed toGQ,
“From nowhere, Wepner knocked down the immortal Ali. It was like a bolt of lightning from some Greek god in the sky, and, almost instantly, Wepner became the crowd favorite — in a matter of seconds. Suddenly, he went from being a complete joke to being somebody whom everybody watching could identify with—because everybody’s thinking, ‘Yes, I’d like to do that!’”
Chuck Wepner’s tenacity became the inspirational underdog fairytale that Sylvester Stallone was looking for. The rest as they say, is history. Thanks to theDemolition Manstar’s moment of enlightenment, Rocky Balboa went on to become one of the most loved and admired characters on screen.
Sharanya Sankar
Senior Writer
Articles Published :1230
Sharanya Sankar, Writer for FandomwireHaving completed her Masters degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, Sharanya has a solid foundation in writing which is also one of her passions. She has worked previously with Book My show for a couple of years where she gained experience reviewing films and writing feature articles. Sharanya’s articles on film and pop culture have also been published on Film Companion, a popular film-based website. Apart from movies and pop culture, her interests include music and sports. She has contributed over 650 articles to Fandomwire so far.
