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Rocky is an American sports drama multimedia franchise created by Sylvester Stallone, based on the life of boxer Rocky Balboa in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which began with the eponymous 1976 film and has since become a cultural phenomenon.
The original film (Rocky) was written by Stallone and directed by John G. Avildsen, and was followed by the sequels Rocky II (1979), Rocky III (1982), Rocky IV (1985), Rocky V (1990), and Rocky Balboa (2006). Stallone wrote and directed four of the five sequels, with Avildsen returning to direct Rocky V. All six films were distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
A sequel film series followed, with Creed (2015), Creed II (2018), and Creed III (2023). The series stars Michael B. Jordan as boxer Adonis Creed, with Rocky as his trainer in the first two films. The Creed films were directed by Ryan Coogler, Steven Caple Jr., and Jordan respectively.
The Creed franchise will continue with a fourth film, while a Drago film, a prequel television series, and various other spin-offs are in development.
Rocky, Rocky III, and Creed were nominated for Academy Awards, with the first winning Best Picture, Best Director for Avildsen, and Best Film Editing, and is considered one of the greatest sports films of all time. Stallone was nominated for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the first film and Creed, respectively. Rocky has influenced landmarks and popular culture; the entrance to the Philadelphia Museum of Art has become known as the Rocky Steps while phrases like "Yo, Adrian!" and "If he dies, he dies" have become part of lexicon or widely memed. Balboa is also considered one of the most iconic fictional characters, and the franchise is closely linked with its successful theme songs, including "Gonna Fly Now", "Eye of the Tiger", and "Burning Heart".
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