Sylvester Stallone pulls back the curtain on his life and career in the first official trailer for Netflix’s upcoming documentary Sly.
As some of you may know, Stallone’s journey from struggling actor to Hollywood heavyweight is the stuff of legends. While he was getting small-scale acting jobs, it wasn’t until 1976 that he achieved his greatest success as both an actor and screenwriter. His portrayal of boxer Rocky Balboa in the first film of the Rocky series catapulted him to critical and commercial acclaim, solidifying his status as a great actor. And now, we get the full inside story of his life directly from the source.
Netflix’s Sly documentary will shine a spotlight on Stallone’s remarkable life and prolific acting career, with a special focus on the unforgettable characters he has breathed life into. As per the streamer, the upcoming documentary “takes a thoughtful, intimate look at Stallone’s triumphs and struggles, drawn in parallel with the indelible characters he’s played.” Giving us a peek at what’s in store, the official synopsis for Netflix’s Sly reads, “For nearly 50 years, Sylvester Stallone has entertained millions with iconic characters and blockbuster franchises, from ‘Rocky’ to ‘Rambo’ to ‘The Expendables.’ This retrospective documentary offers an intimate look at the Oscar-nominated actor-writer-director-producer, paralleling his inspirational underdog-story with the indelible characters he has brought to life.”
In the official trailer for Sly, the Rocky actor opens up about his career accomplishments and the toll they took. The teaser opens with Stallone’s voice asking, “Do I have regrets?” to which he instantly answers, “Hell yeah, I have regrets.” The trailer goes on to showcase a series of captivating shots, as Stallone poses a thought-provoking question: “What is healthier, to live under the illusion that you could have been great or actually have an opportunity to be great, and then you blow it and you realize you’re a failure?” The montage includes a glimpse of a statue depicting Stallone’s iconic Rocky character along with shots of Stallone walking introspectively and reminiscing over old photographs.
Sylvester Stallone has been an icon for nearly 50 years. Now, he’s taking a look back at his own story and what it took to cement his status as a legend.
Sly premieres this November. pic.twitter.com/pbFd5ZuMDD
— Netflix (@netflix) June 30, 2023
Stallone also comes up with an intriguing metaphor for his life, comparing it to a speeding train. “If you’re ever on a train, wham, wham,” he says. “And that’s what you’re life is — whipping by. It’s gone.” The seasoned actor acknowledges the “great price” one has to pay for creating movies and becoming an actor. “There’s no time for anything else,” he says. “Nothing inspires you than taking your history and balling it up and shoo,” he gestures, tossing an imaginary wad of paper.
Netflix’s Sly is helmed by acclaimed documentarian Thom Zimny, known for his exceptional work on films about Bruce Springsteen. Over the course of the past half-century, Stallone has become synonymous with iconic roles, and Zimny aims to unravel the man behind the characters via this documentary. Adding to the creative force, Stallone himself serves as an executive producer, joined by a stellar team including Bill Zanker, Sam Delcanto, Braden Aftergood, Jon Beyer, Tom Forman and Jenny Daly, alongside Maren Domzalski and Adrienne Gerard, who serve as co-producers for the project.
While Stallone opted not to reprise his legendary role as Rocky Balboa in the latest chapter of the franchise, ‘Creed III,‘ his career shows no signs of cooling down. The celebrated actor recently made his mark on the small screen with his inaugural TV series, Paramount+’s ‘Tulsa King‘ and is also involved with ‘The Family Stallone’ reality series, which featured his wife, Jennifer Flavin Stallone and their three daughters Sophia, Sistine and Scarlet.
With Netflix’s Sly dropping on the streaming service this November, we will finally get to witness the Rocky actor’s extraordinary life and career as he shares his remarkable story in his own words.