A cult classic director reveals why he rejected Rocky after Sylvester Stallone personally brought him the script, and then slept in his car. The actor rose from relative obscurity by writing and starring in the iconic 1976 film, directed by John G. Avildsen, which went on to become the highest-grossing movie of the year and received ten Academy Award nominations, including Best Actor and Screenplay for Stallone, and winning three, including Best Picture and Best Director for Avildsen. The movie spawned a mᴀssive franchise that includes eight sequels with all but the most recent, Creed III, starring Stallone.

During a recent interview with Empire Magazine, Ralph Bakshi revealed why he rejected Rocky. Stallone personally brought Bakshi the script because he loved his 1973 film Heavy Traffic and wanted him to direct it. Stallone also needed somewhere to stay, so he slept in Bakshi’s car because his wife wouldn’t let a stranger sleep in their house. Bakshi regrets turning down Rocky, but he didn’t want to leave animation, and he was still able to be friends with Stallone afterward. Read his full story below:

Sylvester Stallone came to LA to meet me. He loved Heavy Traffic, and he gave me the script to Rocky, and said, “I want you to direct it.” He needed somewhere to stay, so he slept in my car. My wife wouldn’t let him sleep in the house. She said, “We don’t know who he is!” Anyway… I turned Rocky down… Are you kidding me? Of course [I regret it]! I could have been the richest man in Brooklyn! But I didn’t want to leave animation. I was an animator — I loved my studio and my staff. I was friends with Stallone afterwards, and he’d break my balls about [Rocky], telling me I threw away millions.

What Turning Down Rocky Meant For Ralph Bakshi

He Was Able To Focus On Animation

Ralph Bakshi is best known for his imaginative animated works. During the 1970s, he pioneered an alternative to traditional animation by creating independent and adult-focused films. His first feature film was Fritz the Cat in 1972, which became the first animated movie to ever receive an X rating from the MPAA and remains the highest-grossing animated independent film in history. His next film was 1973’s Heavy Traffic, which combined live-action and animation, catching the eye of a young Sylvester Stallone.

By turning down Rocky, Bakshi was able to continue focusing on animation and his own studio, Bakshi Productions, which he started back in 1968. Over the next decade or so, Bakshi made several more animated movies, including Wizards, 1978’s The Lord of the Rings, American Pop, Hey Good Lookin’, and Fire and Ice. Though none of these movies may have been critical or commercial successes on the level of Rocky, Bakshi devoted his time to what he loved the most – animation.

Our Take On Ralph Bakshi Turning Down Rocky

It Worked Out For The Best

Heavy Traffic, a tale of inner-city street life, shares some themes with Rocky, which made Bakshi a great candidate for directing Stallone’s rags-to-riches story. However, Bakshi wanted to focus on animation, which ultimately worked out for the best. Bakshi got to do what he loved most and John G. Avildsen was brought on to direct Rocky. While Bakshi wouldn’t have been a bad choice, Avildsen was arguably the better one. Also the director of The Karate Kid, Avildsen simply had a knack for the inspirational sports drama.

Source: Empire Magazine