Rocky Balboa (film)

Rocky Balboa
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Sylvester Stallone
Written by	Sylvester Stallone
Based on	Characters by Sylvester Stallone
Produced by	Charles Winkler William Chartoff David Winkler Kevin King
Starring	Sylvester Stallone Burt Young Antonio Tarver
Cinematography	Clark Mathis
Edited by	Sean Albertson
Music by	Bill Conti
Production companies	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Columbia Pictures Revolution Studios Chartoff-Winkler Productions
Distributed by	MGM Distribution Co.(United States) 20th Century Fox (International)
Release date	December 20, 2006 (2006-12-20)
Running time	102 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$24 million
Box office	$156.2 million[1]

Rocky Balboa is a 2006 American sports drama film written, directed by, and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the sequel to Rocky V (1990) and the sixth installment in the Rocky film series. It also stars Burt Young and Antonio Tarver in his only acting role. In the film, Rocky Balboa (Stallone), now an aging small restaurant owner, is challenged to an exhibition fight by hothead young boxer Mason Dixon (Tarver).

Development for a sixth Rocky film began after Stallone expressed regret of the outcome of Rocky V, which was viewed as a disappointing conclusion to the end of the franchise. Rocky Balboa includes references to characters and objects from previous installments, and Stallone was inspired by recent personal struggles and triumphs when writing the film.^[2] It is Stallone's first directorial effort since Rocky IV (1985) and is Tarver's only feature film appearance. Principal photography began in December 2005 and lasted until January 2006, with filming locations including Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia. In contrast to previous entries in the franchise, the fight choreography in Rocky Balboa was less scripted, featuring real punches thrown by Stallone and Tarver.

Rocky Balboa was theatrically released by MGM Distribution Co. in North America and 20th Century Fox internationally on December 20, 2006, thirty years after the release of the first film. Rocky Balboa received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for its screenplay, Stallone's performance, and heartfelt exploration of Balboa's character, with many critics calling it a significant improvement over its predecessor, and many labelling the film one of the best entries in the franchise. It grossed over $156 million worldwide, surpassing expectations to rebound from the box office performance of its predecessor. A spin-off, Creed, was released in 2015 and kickstarted its own series, while a seventh mainline Rocky film is in development.