Sylvester Stallone has spoken about his absence from the upcoming Symbol 3, directed by Michael B. Jordan, calling it “unfortunate”.
In June, it was revealed that Stallone would no longer be reprising his iconic role as Rocky Balboa in the ninth installment of the Rocky franchise.
In previous interviews, Stallone said that he pulled out of Symbol III because he “didn’t know if it was a role for me.”
Now, in a recent cover story on THR (The Hollywood Reporter), the 76-year-old actor spoke more about his decision to leave the film.
“It’s an unfortunate thing because I know what it was. It’s a very different role than I would have taken it,” Stallone admitted.
“There is another philosophy: Irwin Winkler and Michael B. Jordan’s writer. I wish you the best, but much more emotional. I like beating heroes, but I don’t want to walk into a dark space. I feel like people have enough darkness in their lives already.
Stallone made headlines in July for criticizing a now-deleted Instagram message directed at Winkler, a producer on the Rocky and Symbol franchises, and his son David Winkler, who is also a producer on the Symbol film.
At the time, Stallone claimed that he was confused about the ownership rights to the Rocky franchise.
“It was done without my knowledge by people I thought were close to me and they basically gave me whatever I was entitled to. Then I was so excited to work and I didn’t realize that at the end of the day this was a business,” he told THR.
Sylvester Stallone and Michael B. Jordan
(Getty Images)
“Who knew that Rocky would carry on for over 45 years? I have never translated dialogue from anyone else, and the irony is that I have none. The people who made the letter do not control anything.
He explained that he “wanted to do another Rocky movie” and although he “wanted to do this,” he denied that it was “part of something that I’ve been creating for so many years.”
“I don’t expect to receive – yes, to forget. Some of the present photos. I don’t want to control anyone. If I wrote it, and this studio agrees to do it, that’s it. You can’t do the following rocky because you want your kids to have jobs,” Stallone added.
“Or if you don’t have the money, you can stop the project. The other producer, Bob Chartoff, was always very nice. He was the complete opposite of Leo.”
A representative of the Independent has been contacted for comment on Winkler.
Symbol III marks the directorial debut for Jordan, who takes over the role following the work of the previous Symbol (2015) and Symbol II (2018) directors Ryan Coogler and Steven Caple Jr.
The film will continue the story of its 2018 predecessor and will follow the boxer Adonis Creed (Jordan), who was trained by Rocky Stallone and remembered.
Symbol 3 is scheduled to release in theaters on March 3, 2023.
