History of Rocky in Timeline
Rocky is a 1976 sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen, written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It's the first film in the Rocky franchise. Rocky Balboa, a small-time boxer and debt collector in Philadelphia, unexpectedly gets the opportunity to fight world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed. The film also stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, and Burgess Meredith.
1973: Ralph Bakshi's film Heavy Traffic
In 1973, Ralph Bakshi released the film "Heavy Traffic", which Sylvester Stallone admired and led him to offer Bakshi the opportunity to direct "Rocky", although he declined.
March 24, 1975: Muhammad Ali vs. Chuck Wepner match
On March 24, 1975, Sylvester Stallone watched the championship match between Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner, which inspired him to write the screenplay for Rocky.
1975: Bill Conti composed W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings
In 1975, Bill Conti had composed a score for director John G. Avildsen's "W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings", which the studio ultimately rejected.
January 9, 1976: Principal photography for Rocky began
On January 9, 1976, principal photography for Rocky began, primarily throughout Philadelphia. The Steadicam was used for smooth photography during training sequences and fight scenes.
January 1976: Principal photography began in Philadelphia
In January 1976, principal photography for Rocky commenced, primarily in Philadelphia, with key locations becoming cultural landmarks.
November 12, 1976: Soundtrack Album Released
On November 12, 1976, United Artists Records released the soundtrack album for Rocky.
November 20, 1976: Rocky Premiere in New York City
On November 20, 1976, Rocky premiered in New York City, marking the beginning of its journey to becoming the highest-grossing film of the year.
November 21, 1976: Second New York City Premiere of Rocky
On November 21, 1976, the second New York premiere of Rocky took place at Cinema II.
December 1, 1976: Los Angeles Premiere
On December 1, 1976, the Los Angeles premiere of Rocky took place at the Plaza in Westwood Village.
December 3, 1976: Rocky Released in the United States
On December 3, 1976, Rocky was released in the United States, achieving critical acclaim and becoming the highest-grossing film of the year with approximately $225 million worldwide.
1976: Rocky Becomes Highest-Grossing Film of the Year
In 1976, Rocky became the highest-grossing film in the United States and Canada.
1976: Release of Rocky
In 1976, Rocky, an American independent sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen, was released. The movie stars Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa, a small-time fighter who gets a shot at the world heavyweight championship.
1976: Directors Guild of America Award
In 1976, the Directors Guild of America awarded Rocky its annual award for best film of the year.
July 8, 1977: "Gonna Fly Now" tops Billboard Hot 100
On July 8, 1977, "Gonna Fly Now," the main theme song from Rocky, reached number one on Billboard magazine's Hot 100 list.
1977: Muhammad Ali and Sylvester Stallone Stage Comic Confrontation at Academy Awards
During the 49th Academy Awards ceremony in 1977, Muhammad Ali and Sylvester Stallone staged a brief comic confrontation to show that the film did not offend Ali.
1977: Academy Members Indicated Preference for "All the President's Men"
In 1977, Academy members indicated that, given a second chance, they would award the Oscar for Best Picture to "All the President's Men" instead of Rocky.
1977: Rocky is the second highest-grossing film
In 1977, Rocky was the second highest-grossing film, behind Star Wars.
1979: Release of Rocky II
In 1979, Rocky II was released, marking the first sequel in the Rocky franchise.
1979: Rocky II Released
In 1979, Rocky II, the first sequel in the series, was released.
1979: Red gloves from Rocky II archived at museum
In 1979, the red gloves worn by Stallone in Rocky II were archived at the National Museum of American History.
1981: Boxing shoes and trunks from Rocky III archived at museum
In 1981, Stallone's white Nike boxing shoes and striped boxing trunks from Rocky III were archived at the National Museum of American History.
1982: Release of Rocky III
In 1982, Rocky III was released as the second sequel in the series.
1982: Statue of Rocky placed at top of "Rocky Steps"
In 1982, a statue of Rocky, commissioned by Stallone for Rocky III, was placed at the top of the Rocky Steps. City Commerce Director Dick Doran claimed that Stallone and Rocky had done more for the city's image than "anyone since Ben Franklin".
1985: Release of Rocky IV
In 1985, Rocky IV was released as the third sequel in the series.
1986: "Rocky VI" released
In 1986, Aki Kaurismaki, a Finnish director, made an 8-minute spoof of Rocky IV called "Rocky VI".
1987: Rocky released for Master System
In 1987, Rocky was released for the Master System.
1988: Ricky 1 released
In 1988, Ricky 1, a feature length spoof of Rocky, was released.
1990: Release of Rocky V
In 1990, Rocky V was released as the fourth sequel in the Rocky franchise.
1990: Rocky statue temporarily returned to top of steps for Rocky V
In 1990, the Rocky statue was temporarily returned to the top of the steps for Rocky V.
1996: Dawn Staley runs up "Rocky Steps" during Olympics torch relay
During the 1996 Summer Olympics torch relay, Philadelphia native Dawn Staley was chosen to run up the museum steps.
1998: Rocky Ranked by AFI
In 1998, the American Film Institute (AFI) ranked Rocky as the 78th best film in American cinema.
2002: Rocky released for multiple platforms
In 2002, Rocky was released for the GameCube, Game Boy Advance, PlayStation 2, and Xbox.
2004: Rocky Legends released for PlayStation 2 and Xbox
In 2004, Rocky Legends, a sequel, was released for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox.
2004: John Kerry ends pre-convention campaign at foot of "Rocky Steps"
In 2004, presidential candidate John Kerry ended his pre-convention campaign at the foot of the steps before going to Boston to accept his party's nomination for president.
2005: Rocky on "The Top 10 Worst Pictures to Win Best Picture Oscar"
In 2005, a poll by Empire ranked Rocky No. 9 on their list of "The Top 10 Worst Pictures to Win Best Picture Oscar".
2006: Rocky ranked by Total Film
In 2006, British film magazine Total Film ranked Rocky at #71 on their list of the 100 greatest films of all time.
2006: "Rocky Steps" scene listed on E!'s 101 Most Awesome Moments in Entertainment
In 2006, E! named the "Rocky Steps" scene number 13 on its 101 Most Awesome Moments in Entertainment list.
2006: Release of Rocky Balboa
In 2006, Rocky Balboa was released as the fifth sequel in the series.
2006: Rocky Selected for Preservation in the National Film Registry
In 2006, Rocky was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry due to its cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance.
2006: Stallone's screenplay selected
In 2006, Sylvester Stallone's original screenplay for the film was selected by the Writers Guild of America as the 78th best screenplay of all time.
2006: Rocky statue returned to top of steps for 30th anniversary
In 2006, the Rocky statue was temporarily returned to the top of the steps for the 30th anniversary of the original Rocky, although this time it was placed at the bottom of the steps. Later that year, it was moved permanently to a spot next to the steps.
2006: Rocky items on display at National Museum of American History
In 2006, the red satin robe and black hat worn by Stallone in Rocky, the red gloves worn by Stallone in Rocky II (1979), his white Nike boxing shoes, and striped boxing trunks from Rocky III (1981) were on display for a temporary period following Stallone's donation at the National Museum of American History. All items were on display for a temporary period following Stallone's donation in 2006, and have since been moved to the museum archives.
2007: Rocky's ranking rose on AFI list
In 2007, Rocky's ranking rose to #57 on AFI's 10th anniversary edition of the list.
June 2008: Rocky Acknowledged as Second-Best Sports Film by AFI
In June 2008, the American Film Institute acknowledged Rocky as the second-best film in the sports genre, after Raging Bull.
2008: Rocky Ranked by Empire Magazine
In 2008, Rocky was ranked #370 on Empire magazine's list of the 500 greatest films.
2008: Parody in You Don't Mess with the Zohan
In the 2008 movie You Don't Mess with the Zohan, Zohan's nemesis, Phantom, goes through a parody training sequence finishing with him running up a desert dune and raising his hands in victory.
October 2012: Rocky musical premiered in Hamburg, Germany
In October 2012, the Rocky musical, written by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens with the book by Thomas Meehan, premiered in Hamburg, Germany.
2012: Rocky Voted One of the Best-Edited Films
In 2012, Rocky was voted as one of the 75 best-edited films in all of cinema by members of the Motion Picture Editors Guild.
February 11, 2014: Rocky musical began performances on Broadway
On February 11, 2014, the Rocky musical began performances at the Winter Garden Theater on Broadway.
March 13, 2014: Rocky musical officially opened on Broadway
On March 13, 2014, the Rocky musical officially opened at the Winter Garden Theater on Broadway.
June 2014: Rocky Ranked by The Hollywood Reporter
In June 2014, The Hollywood Reporter compiled a list of the 100 best movies ever made, polling film industry insiders. Rocky ranked #91.
2015: Thrillist Ranked Rocky on "The 1001 Best Movies of All Time" list
In 2015, Thrillist compiled a list of "The 1001 Best Movies of All Time" by weighing ratings from IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic and Letterboxd. Rocky ranked #589.
2016: ROCKY mobile game released for iOS
In 2016, Tapinator released a mobile game named ROCKY for the iOS platform, with a planned 2017 release for Google Play and Amazon platforms.
2017: Rocky featured in John G. Avildsen: King of the Underdogs documentary
In 2017, Rocky is featured in the documentary John G. Avildsen: King of the Underdogs about Academy Award-winning Rocky director John G. Avildsen, directed and produced by Derek Wayne Johnson.
2017: Planned release of ROCKY mobile game for Google Play and Amazon platforms
In 2017, Tapinator planned to release ROCKY mobile game for Google Play and Amazon platforms.
2018: Adjusted for inflation, Rocky earned over $500 million
By 2018, adjusted for inflation, the film Rocky had earned over $500 million in North America alone.
2020: 40 Years of Rocky: The Birth of a Classic released
In 2020, the documentary 40 Years of Rocky: The Birth of a Classic, directed and produced by Derek Wayne Johnson and narrated by Stallone, was released. This documentary features behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the film.
2022: Esquire Included Rocky on "The 100 Best Movies of All Time"
In 2022, Esquire included the film Rocky on their list of "The 100 Best Movies of All Time".
2023: Release of Creed III
In 2023, Creed III was released; however, Stallone did not appear in the film.
2023: Slashfilm Included Rocky on Their "Top 100 Movies of All Time" list
In 2023, Slashfilm included Rocky on their list of the "Top 100 Movies of All Time", as voted by a selection of their writers and editors.
2024: Rocky Ranked by Forbes magazine
In 2024, Forbes magazine ranked Rocky #1 on their list of "The 42 Greatest Sports Movies of All Time".
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