Oct 10, 2026 · 1 hr 20 min · 13 segments
Where else can you go after turning your title character into a comic book character? If you’re Sylvester Stallone, it’s take him back to his roots. Bring back original director John G Avildsen. Put…
Budget on this was $42 million.
Box office, when it was all said and done, ended up being $120 million worldwide, but domestically it only grossed about $41 million.
Money loser.
And this was directed by the returning John G. Avildsen.
Guys, last week we talked so much about how Rocky IV grossed over $300 million in 1985 money.
Fast-forward five years, this sucker ends up losing money.
It's the only Rocky movie to ever lose money.
Adam, I have to ask you, you know, we've gone from the first film where I gave it my first 10 in a while.
[laughs]
You asshole.
[laughs]
And Matt gave it a very strong nine.
In four films, this comes out, and as Matt alluded to last week, Stallone himself has come out and said, "Yeah, I give it a zero out of 10." Why have we fallen so hard here?
I think it finally got to the point where he said what he had to say, and this ended up being, "Hey, are you willing to come back?" "No." "Here's a check.
Write whatever you want on it." "Uh, yeah, coming back sounds really good." So, [laughs] I thi- I, I, I think he was done.
I think he was done with Rocky.
And I think he might have been done with III.
I think he felt like he did something cool and different with IV.
And, and look, I think he did as well, but I, I don't think he had more in the Balboa tank.
I think it showed.
I think everybody felt like it was done.
Matt, I wanna make a comparison here, and tell me if you agree with this.
This same year we had The Godfather III, and Coppola has come out and said since that that was made strictly for commerce purposes.
Budget on this was $42 million.
Box office, when it was all said and done, ended up being $120 million worldwide, but domestically it only grossed about $41 million.
Money loser.
And this was directed by the returning John G. Avildsen.
Guys, last week we talked so much about how Rocky IV grossed over $300 million in 1985 money.
Fast-forward five years, this sucker ends up losing money.
It's the only Rocky movie to ever lose money.
Adam, I have to ask you, you know, we've gone from the first film where I gave it my first 10 in a while.
[laughs]
You asshole.
[laughs]
And Matt gave it a very strong nine.
In four films, this comes out, and as Matt alluded to last week, Stallone himself has come out and said, "Yeah, I give it a zero out of 10." Why have we fallen so hard here?
I think it finally got to the point where he said what he had to say, and this ended up being, "Hey, are you willing to come back?" "No." "Here's a check.
Write whatever you want on it." "Uh, yeah, coming back sounds really good." So, [laughs] I thi- I, I, I think he was done.
I think he was done with Rocky.
And I think he might have been done with III.
I think he felt like he did something cool and different with IV.
And, and look, I think he did as well, but I, I don't think he had more in the Balboa tank.
I think it showed.
I think everybody felt like it was done.
Matt, I wanna make a comparison here, and tell me if you agree with this.
This same year we had The Godfather III, and Coppola has come out and said since that that was made strictly for commerce purposes.
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