The Rocky IV director’s cut has been Sylvester Stallone’s pet project since the pandemic forced everyone into quarantine. Solid details on the cut have been few and far between but, after months of waiting, there appears to be a light at the end of the tunnel. Stallone decided to the release date for the cut along with a cool new poster!
The Rocky IV star and director took to his Instagram to share the amazing news with his followers and fans. According to Sylvester Stallone, the Rocky III sequel will be back in theaters on November 11. He even took the time to shout out the artist behind the new Rocky IV poster. Check out Stallone’s exciting release announcement below:
In addition to the poster’s creator, Sylvester Stallone gave major props to the film technicians for bringing Rocky IV to today’s standards for the enjoyment both new and old audiences. The poster is also exciting, as it smashes older boxing match aesthetics with one of Rocky IV’s most pivotal scenes. You can still feel the tension, as Dolph Lundgren’s Ivan Drago had the beloved boxer on the ropes, figuratively and literally. This Rocky IV poster isn’t the first Stallone has teased, but it's arguably better than the other. I think it goes without saying that the release date announcement and new poster will only get fans more excited for the new version of the boxing movie.
Since quarantine began, the Oscar-nominated actor had been teasing the Rocky IV director’s cut with a number of sweet teases. After an initial tease, Sylvester Stallone also shared behind-the-scenes tidbits from the film such as great outtakes and an impressive clip of him directing and acting in one scene.
Eventually, the director’s cut began to feel more real whe Sylvester Stallone revealed the infamous SICO would be cut from the film. Rolling into 2021, the actor kept fans updated on every stage of the production until the last day. Based on the enthusiasm Stallone has shown during this time, it would seem that moviegoers are in for a real treat when the director’s cut hits theaters.
Sometimes regarded as one of the weaker Rocky offerings, Rocky IV has become one of the long-running sports movie franchise’s beloved sequels. It would also lay the foundation for the Creed franchise, as Adonis Creed was partially prompted to become a fighter due to his father's death in Rocky IV. That franchise established a relationship between Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone’s characters, which is similar to that of Stallone and Carl Weathers’ characters. Despite receiving a mixed critical reception, the film went on to become one of the highest-grossing sports films of all time. All in all, the 1985 movie has proven to have some tremendous staying power.
With a new poster and release date set, the stage is now set for Rocky IV fans to see the sports classic in theaters once more. It’s nice to know that Sylvester Stallone and fans’ patience paid off and that the film is now officially on the way. We'll see what Stallone has in store for us when the movie makes its way back to the big screen this fall.
In the meantime, the original cut of Rocky IV is currently available to stream on HBO Max.
