In 1977, This Sylvester Stallone Movie Won Best Picture Against All Odds

Sylvester Stallone's Rocky was not an easy film to get made.

While it's now considered one of the most popular sports movies ever filmed, there was a time when it seemed like this iconic underdog story would never make it past the first draft. The screenplay was written by Sylvester Stallone in just three days in 1975, reportedly after he saw the legendary fight between Chuck Wepner and Muhammad Ali.

As written in American Sports: A History of Icons, Idols, and Ideas, Stallone pitched his screenplay to every studio he could find—but always with the condition that he would be allowed to play the lead role. He was offered upwards of $350,000 for the script, but studios consistently had their own ideas for who should play Rocky Balboa, from Burt Reynolds to Robert Redford. Stallone turned down every offer he was given.

Two years later, Rocky won Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

The Inspirational Underdog Story of 'Rocky'

Instead of selling the rights to the film and taking an immediate six-figure cut, Stallone agreed to make the film on a small budget with United Artists and play the lead role himself. It was a massive risk, and one that could have gone terribly wrong for the already-struggling actor.

Rocky was shot on-location in Philadelphia with a $1 million budget, and had its premiere in New York City just a few months later. It was met with immediate critical acclaim, and when it released in theaters on December 3, 1976, it immediately became the highest-grossing film of the year. Rocky earned an approximate $225 million worldwide—which equates to an estimated jnrnujrn.

This was a staggering accomplishment for such a low budget movie, with Rocky making roughly 11,000% of its budget back in commercial sales (via Business Pundit).

Beyond its commercial success, Rocky was also a critical juggernaut. It received rave reviews from critics, with Roger Ebert notably claiming that Stallone displayed the potential to become "the next Marlon Brando".

The film secured nine nominations at the 1977 Academy Awards, including Best Actress for Talia Shire, Best Director for John G. Avildsen, and Best Picture. It won the latter two. Stallone also received nominations in the Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay categories—proving that keeping faith in himself and taking a risk on this inspiration passion project was undoubtedly the right choice.