'40 Years of Rocky: The Birth of a Classic' has been written and directed by Derek Wayne Johnson.
APIn this Sept. 8, 2006, file photo, Sylvester Stallone poses in front of the bronze statue of Stallone portraying the boxer Rocky Balboa after it was unveiled near the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Titled '40 Years of Rocky: The Birth of a Classic', the documentary has been written and directed by Derek Wayne Johnson. It will be digitally released on June 9 in the US.
The film chronicles the making of the first film, 1976's 'Rocky', through rare home footage filmed by director John G Avildsen, reported Variety.
"The documentary is a golden nugget for ‘Rocky' fans and casual audiences alike. It's a charming piece of film history narrated by Rocky himself, Sylvester Stallone, and will give audiences an intimate, and at times, emotional experience.
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In this March 28, 1977, file photo, Sylvester Stallone, left, holds his Oscar for 'Rocky,' as Eletha Finch, center, holds the Oscar she accepted for her late husband Peter Finch, who was named best actor for his performance in 'Network, 'and Faye Dunaway with her Oscar won for best actress in 'Network,' in Los Angeles.
"We're proud of the film, and audiences can expect new stories and new footage that they've never seen before in a blend of director John Avildsen's home movies, rehearsal footage and behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the ultimate underdog film," Johnson said in a statement.
In 'Rocky', Stallone had starred as Rocky Balboa, the eponymous southpaw boxer from Philadelphia. Upon its release, the movie had amassed critical acclaim and was a commercial success.
At the 49th Academy Awards in 1977, "Rocky" had surprisingly picked up three trophies, including Best Picture and Best Director.
Over the years, the film spawned five sequels - 'Rocky II' (1979), 'Rocky III' (1982), 'Rocky IV' (1985), 'Rocky V' (1990) and 'Rocky Balboa' (2006) - as well as two spinoffs - 'Creed' (2015), and 'Creed II' (2018).
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