Rocky II

Movie Details:

Cast & Characters:

• Sylvester Stallone as Robert “Rocky” Balboa, “The Italian Stallion”
• Talia Shire as Adrian Balboa
• Burt Young as Paulie Pennino
• Carl Weathers as Apollo Creed
• Burgess Meredith as Michael “Mickey” Goldmill
• Tony Burton as Tony “Duke” Evers
• Sylvia Meals as Mary Anne Creed
• Seargeoh Stallone as Robert “Rocky” Balboa Jr.
• Paul Micale as Father Carmine
• Joe Spinell as Tony Gazzo
• Frank McRae as meat foreman.
• Jeff Temkin as the ring announcer

Storyline:

Rocky Balboa is enjoying life. He has a lovely wife, Adrian, had a successful fight with Apollo Creed and is able to enjoy the money he earned from the fight and a new endorsement deal. Unfortunately, Rocky becomes embarrassed when failing to complete an advert and ends up working in a meat packing company. He believes that he will no longer have a career as a boxer. Apollo wants to rematch with Rocky to prove all his critics wrong that he can beat Rocky. Can Rocky once again have a successful fight?

About Movie:

Rocky II is an American sports drama film written, directed by, and starring Sylvester Stallone. The film is the sequel to Rocky (1976) and the second installment in the Rocky film series. It also stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, and Burgess Meredith.

Development of Rocky II began in 1977, after Stallone completed the screenplay. United Artists was reluctant to allow Stallone to direct after John G. Avildsen, the director of the first film, was unable to return. Stallone was eventually hired after refusing to allow the film to be made without him as director, and the returns of the rest of the cast were secured soon thereafter.

Principal photography commenced in 1978, with filming held primarily on location in Philadelphia, during which Stallone sustained several injuries. The film is dedicated to the late Jane Oliver who was Stallone’s first agent.

The plot twist in Rocky, where Rocky surprises Apollo Creed by switching to fight right-handed, wasn’t in the original script. It was introduced after an on-set accident. While training for the film, Sylvester Stallone suffered a near-complete tear of his right pectoralis major muscle while attempting to bench press 100 kg with bodybuilder Franco Columbu. After undergoing a partially successful surgery to reattach the muscle, Stallone was unable to fight with his left hand, prompting the script change.

The film’s ending fight sequence also posed a challenge because at the time Talia Shire was busy making the drama Old Boyfriends and couldn’t be on the set. So Stallone came up with the idea of having her watch the fight from home because of the new baby. Adrian’s scenes were actually filmed some months later, toward the end of the shoot.

An estimated 800 school children were used as extras in the scene in which Rocky runs through Philadelphia and climbs the steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Rocky II was theatrically released in the United States by United Artists on June 15, 1979. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for its characterization, finale, and Stallone’s performance. It grossed $200 million worldwide and $85 million in North America, making it the third highest-grossing film of 1979 domestically and the second highest-grossing film worldwide. The sequel, Rocky III, was released in 1982.

Budget & Box Office Collection: