STALLONE RACING MOVIE GETS STARTED
by MIKE HARRIS
AP MOTORSPORTS WRITER
JULY 14, 2000
TORONTO (AP) — Maybe they can call it “Rocky Road.”
SYLVESTER STALLONE, who portrayed underdog Rocky Balboa in a series of popular movies, is now hoping the same magic that worked for boxing can be translated to Champ cars.
SLY, whose original idea of a movie about Formula one never came to fruition, has written a script and put together an independent deal to make a movie tentatively titled “Driven.” He will also produce the movie, which is scheduled to be released in the summer of 2001.
The story will revolve around STALLONE‘s character, an aging racing star, being brought back to mentor a budding star [KIP PARDUE]. BURT REYNOLDS will play a cantankerous team owner, while ESTELLA WARREN will be STALLONE‘s love interest.
Some initial scene-setting filming was done earlier this year during the race weekend in Long Beach, Calif., but the action is almost nonstop this week in Toronto as Championship Auto Racing Teams puts on its 11th Molson Indy.
RENNY HARLIN, who directed STALLONE in his last big hit, “Cliffhanger,” in 1993, will also direct this project.
HARLIN said the Rocky film saga parallels “Driven” in many ways.
“Rocky wasn’t a movie about boxing and this won’t be a movie about cars going around the track,” he said. “It won’t be a documentary, but since we followed racing all our lives, we don’t want to take liberties with things that could never happen.”
During a press conference to introduce the cast, Reynolds got the biggest laugh.
Asked why STALLONE sought him out for the role of the team owner, Reynolds said: “BURGESS MEREDITH was dead.”
MEREDITH played STALLONE‘s crusty trainer-manager in three “Rocky” films.
The rest of the cast includes GINA GERSHON, ROBERT SEAN LEONARD, STACY EDWARDS, TIL SCHWEIGER, CRISTIAN de la FUENTE and BRENT BRISCOE. Several current CART stars including MICHAEL ANDRETTI, JUAN MONTOYA and DAN FRANCHITTI will also have cameo roles.
– Craig Zablo