40 Years of Rocky: The Birth of a Classic, the behind-the-scenes documentary that follows the journey of the 1976 classic Rocky, will premiere digitally on June 9.
Released by Virgil Films & Entertainment and directed by Derek Wayne Johnson, the documentary is narrated by Sylvester Stallone. The film will show never before seen footage of makeup tests, boxing choreography sessions, and moments between Stallone and co-stars Carl Weathers and Talia Shire.
Stallone’s narration will describe the process of shooting the film as well as the story behind getting it green-lit and how he preserved his original script and starring role. This includes the origin of Rocky Balboa’s pork pie hat, which he believed “completed” the character and was bought for $3 in a Philadelphia shop. Studio execs and producers told him to get rid of the hat because they felt like it was too much like Gene Hackman’s look in The French Connection.
The idea for 40 Years of Rocky was pitched by Stallone to Johnson and producer Chris May.
“The documentary is a golden nugget for Rocky fans and casual audiences alike. It’s a charming piece of film history narrated by Rocky himself, Sylvester Stallone, and will give audiences an intimate, and at times, emotional experience,” Johnson said.
