Rocky Balboa Breaks $50 Million at the Box Office!

"Rocky Balboa" was the movie no one in Hollywood wanted to make, except for Sylvester Stallone. Of course there were nostalgic fans and others who wanted some closure to the story, an ending to erase the memory of Rocky 5. But when it came time to put up the money and get the thing made, many thought it would never happen.

So it was back to basics for the conclusion of the Rocky Saga. No big budget effects or $20 million pay-days. In an age when the average big studio picture has a $100 million+ budget, often with multiple million dollar actors, "Rocky 6" was made for about $24 million. Stallone supposedly made over $20 million each for duds like "D-Tox" and "Avenging Angelo." The once mighty career of the man who brought us Rocky and Rambo in recent years has resembled the direct to video trajectory of such luminaries as Steven Segal and Jean-Claude Van Damme. Sly obviously had to take a huge paycut to get this movie made. And it's paidoff.

Rocky Balboa debuted at #1 the Wednesday of its release. It was soon knocked off the top by big budget fare, but the movie has legs. According to Boxofficemojo.com in exactly 2 weeks, this film has grossed just over $52 million. It has been 12 years since a Stallone starring film earned over $50 million and over 20 years since his last $100 million hit ( Rocky 4 and Rambo both eclipsed $120 million in 1985). it has easily surpassed Rocky 5.

With good reviews and word of mouth, Rocky Balboa will recieve several more weeks at the box office, followed by a healthy second life on DVD and cable. No matter what happens in the movies, it looks like Stallone always gets the last knockout.