As a film enthusiast who has spent countless hours immersed in the silver screen, I must say that Sylvester Stallone‘s career is nothing short of extraordinary. His journey through Hollywood spanning more than four decades is nothing less than awe-inspiring. From his early days as Rocky Balboa to his recent role as King Shark, Stallone has proven time and again that he is a force to be reckoned with in the world of cinema.
Without a doubt, Sylvester Stallone is among the most iconic and powerful actors on the big screen. His breakthrough came in 1976 when he scripted and starred in the boxing drama “Rocky,” which garnered three Academy Awards, including the prestigious Best Picture award, and was the highest-earning film of the year. Since then, Stallone has held sway over Hollywood and solidified his status as one of the film industry’s most reliable leading men.
Stallone has an exceptional achievement under his belt – starring in a top-grossing movie in each of the past six decades, making him one of very few actors to do so. This remarkable feat has solidified his iconic status as an action hero within Hollywood. Here’s a look at some of Stallone’s most profitable films throughout the last 60 years.
Stallone Comes Out Swinging on the Silver Screen
1976 saw Sylvester Stallone burst onto the scene as a rising star in the entertainment industry, and he solidified his status as an action legend by both acting in and writing the iconic sports drama Rocky. In this film, he played Rocky Balboa, a Philadelphia boxer from the southpaw stance, who was offered a once-in-a-lifetime chance to fight against world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed (portrayed by Carl Weathers). With a production budget of just $1.1 million, Rocky resonated with audiences due to its inspiring rags-to-riches narrative and went on to rule the box office, earning the title of highest-grossing film of the year.
This much-loved sports movie amassed an impressive $225 million globally and maintained its popularity for eight straight months in cinemas, also snagging three Academy Awards, one of which was Best Picture. Not only did it propel Sylvester Stallone to a long-lasting career, but it also spawned a prosperous, adored franchise that remains favored by viewers even today, nearing half a century since its release. The eagerly awaited Rocky II followed suit three years later and replicated similar box office triumphs, debuting at the top of the charts on its opening weekend and pocketing $200 million, cementing Stallone’s status as a cinematic fixture.
Following an impressive and extremely envious stretch in Hollywood during the late ’70s, Stallone didn’t show any signs of slowing down and instead accelerated even further, introducing a fresh action icon in 1982: John J. Rambo, a Vietnam War veteran. In the film First Blood, Stallone portrayed the character fleeing through a small Washington town’s wilderness while being pursued by a cruel sheriff who pushes him to confront the devastating battlefield trauma he endured. The movie held the number one spot at the box office for three consecutive weeks and added another accolade to Stallone’s action film collection, ultimately grossing $125.2 million.
A Certified Action Legend Is Born
As the ’90s kicked off, I, Sylvester Stallone, demonstrated that I was here to stay, taking on a double role as both writer and star of the heart-stopping 1993 action thriller “Cliffhanger”. In this edge-of-your-seat movie, I played Gabriel “Gabe” Walker, a mountain rescue ranger with unparalleled climbing skills. The plot unfolds as a group of ruthless criminals, desperate to retrieve their $100 million stolen in a heist, crash-land in the Rockies, setting off a high-stakes chase and putting us face-to-face in an exhilarating showdown.
The film titled “Cliffhanger” had a sensational premiere at the Cannes Film Festival and subsequently graced theater screens, where it shared the top spot with other releases such as “Silver,” “Made in America,” “Super Mario Bros.,” and “Dave.” It eventually earned $255 million globally. Other Sylvester Stallone films from the ’90s that debuted at number one include “Demolition Man,” “The Specialist,” and “Cop Land.” The new millennium brought further success for this cinematic legend, starting with the 2001 action sports drama “Driven.
Once more, Stallone demonstrated his filmmaking prowess by penning the movie script and co-starring with the popular Burt Reynolds, portraying Joe Tanto, a former Indy 500 and Champ Car champion, who is lured back to racing to mentor a young, ambitious driver eager to make a name for himself. Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, Driven nonetheless marked Stallone’s highest-grossing film since 1997’s Cop Land , earning $54.7 million and underscoring the actor’s enduring popularity and financial clout as a leading man.
Stallone Sticks to What He Does Best
With a decorated career of over 40 years behind him, Sylvester Stallone made quite an entrance into the new decade by taking on multiple roles – directing, writing, and starring – in the high-octane blockbuster “The Expendables” (2010). In this film, he assembled a team of top action stars, including Jason Statham, Jet Li, and Dolph Lundgren, to play a band of elite mercenaries. Their mission? To overthrow a brutal Latin American dictator, a task fraught with danger. Cinema enthusiasts eagerly flocked to theaters to see these action legends unite, boosting the movie’s opening weekend earnings to an impressive $34.8 million.
The movie titled “The Expendables” concluded its cinema run, amassing a whopping $274.5 million at the box office. It kick-started an exhilarating and outrageously fun blockbuster series, leading to three thrilling sequels. Notably, it brought Sylvester Stallone together once more with his “Rocky IV” co-star Dolph Lundgren, much to the delight of fans, who would continue to see them share the screen in subsequent movies. Furthermore, Stallone showcased his acting prowess in various roles, including a voice-over performance as King Shark in 2021’s “The Suicide Squad.
The sensational action film “The Suicide Squad” boasted an impressive ensemble cast including Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, and Viola Davis, with Sylvester Stallone delivering a captivating performance as the solitary shark-human hybrid. Despite being launched during the pandemic, the movie managed to secure the top spot for an R-rated film in terms of opening weekend earnings ($168.7 million), despite not recovering its production cost of $185 million. Nevertheless, its successful debut allowed Sylvester Stallone to claim a No. 1 box-office hit spanning six consecutive decades.
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2024-10-28 03:31