Rocky III is a 1982 American sports drama film written, directed by, and starring Sylvester Stallone.[3] The film is the sequel to Rocky II (1979) and the third installment in the Rocky film series. It also stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, and Burgess Meredith. In the film, Rocky Balboa (Stallone) faces stiff competition from Clubber Lang (Mr. T), a powerful new contender, and turns to his old adversary Apollo Creed (Weathers) to help him train.
Development of the film began soon after the release of its predecessor. Stallone began a strict diet and workout regimen in preparation for Rocky III. Despite the returns of the original cast being secured quickly, casting for Lang proved difficult, with real boxers Joe Frazier and Earnie Shavers attached to the project at various points. Mr. T was hired in 1981 after appearing on the television series Games People Play and the film is considered his breakthrough role. Rocky III is the first film in the franchise not solely distributed by United Artists, due to the company's merger with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) in 1981.
Rocky III was released in the United States on May 28, 1982, by MGM/UA Entertainment Co. The film received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for its action sequences and music but criticism for its screenplay, with some critics deeming the film unnecessary. Retrospective reviews have been more positive and the movie gained a strong cult following.[4][5][6][7]Rocky III grossed $270 million worldwide, surpassing its predecessors to become the then-highest grossing film in the franchise, and the fourth highest grossing film at the domestic box office and the second highest grossing film of 1982 worldwide. Its theme song, "Eye of the Tiger", became a hit single and received a nomination for Best Original Song at the 55th Academy Awards. The sequel, Rocky IV, was released in 1985.
^"Rocky III (1982) – Movie Info". 13 August 2018.
^Cite error: The named reference box office was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^"Rocky III". TCM database. Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 28, 2016.
^"Rocky Movies Ranked from Worst to Best". Collider. 21 November 2018.
^"All 9 Rocky & Creed Movies Ranked (Including Creed 3)". Screen Rant. 20 February 2019.
^"Every Rocky and Creed Movie, Ranked". 3 March 2023.
^"Every 'Rocky' movie, definitively ranked (Including the new 'Creed III')". USA Today.
RockyIII is a 1982 American sports drama film written, directed by, and starring Sylvester Stallone. The film is the sequel to Rocky II (1979) and the...
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characters from the Rocky film series, consisting of Rocky (1976), Rocky II (1979), RockyIII (1982), Rocky IV (1985), Rocky V (1990), Rocky Balboa (2006),...
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back up, Rocky wins the title. By the start of RockyIII, set almost five years after Rocky won the championship, Mickey has trained Rocky to a series...
role of Apollo Creed in the next three Rocky films: Rocky II (1979), RockyIII (1982), and Rocky IV (1985). Weathers briefly appears as an Army MP in...
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co-writer of the anthem "Eye of the Tiger", the theme from the 1982 film RockyIII. Peterik has co-written songs for 38 Special ("Rockin' into the Night"...
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from the Rocky series, played by Talia Shire. Shire was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Adrian in Rocky. The final...
and parodies pop culture media, taking inspiration from works such as RockyIII, Kamen Rider, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the filmography of Takashi...
had an extensive acting career, beginning with his 1982 cameo role in RockyIII. He has starred in several films (including No Holds Barred, Suburban...
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group's hits, including "Eye of the Tiger" and "Burning Heart" from the RockyIII and IV movie soundtracks. He credits Sylvester Stallone for giving him...
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