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Wesley Snipes was released from prison this week after serving a stint for tax evasion. Now word is out that Sly would like to see Snipes become Expendable in the team’s third outing.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has expressed an interest in becoming Expendable.
Recently, SZoner, Mike Kunda had an extended visit and great meal with Chuck Wepner. Wepner vs Ali was, of course, the fight that gave Sly the spark of inspiration that led to Rocky. Here’s how Mike describes the evening…
Craig,
Thought I’d share a Rocky related story with the StalloneZone. This past July, I had a gig in Philly as “Rocky” helping a young lady with cerebral palsy achieve a check on her bucket list – to climb the Rocky steps. http://youtu.be/-rEVdAMoFZA The featured celebrity guest was Mr. Chuck Wepner, who went fifteen rounds with Muhammad Ali, providing the catalyst for a less than broke Sylvester Stallone to write Rocky and had a charity match with Andre The Giant. Well, Chuck and I hit it off, talking about a great many things. This began a series of phone calls at all hours, discussing life, Chuck’s amazing journey and of course, Sly.
Recently, Chuck and I and our family’s gathered at The Victors (Adrian’s) in Philadelphia for nearly six hours of great food, red wine and amazing opera. We drifted from topic to topic. I patiently waited to hear two stories – 15 rounds with Ali and fighting Andre The Giant.
I asked him who hit hardest, Ali, Foreman or Liston. (Liston by a mile)
When listening to Chuck, his respect for both men was bombastic. Chuck repeated numerous times how fond of Ali he is and how they were never mad at each other. It was always for show. He said he and Andre went to dinner to “discuss” the match. It was Chuck’s idea to be thrown out of the ring; Andre’s suggestion to end the fight was more brutal.
The conversation led to WrestleMania 13, where Chuck served as a ringside judge, his friendship with Vince McMahon and many of the WWF wrestlers; the coolest was his many talks with Jimmy “Superfly” Snooka (my wife’s favorite back in the day).
While we ate at an Opera Themed restaurant, he told us of a Soprano he knew well… Jimmy Gandolfini and the rest of his crew.
We knew it was Chuck’s birthday, so we got him a cake and had the staff Opera-sing Happy Birthday to him.
By now, we’re into our fourth of six hours at dinner. We began sharing “gig” stories, trying to make the other laugh more. It was close but I think I had him.
Now, this was my invite and I desperately wanted to show my deep pockets. While my wife was talking with Linda, Chuck’s wife, I was in the men’s room when Chuck decided to tell the manager he was to get the check… no matter what. When I heard this I walked to our table and told Chuck we had to go outside to settle the check. He suggested I “get a ladder first”. Sound familiar?
After dinner we went upstairs to the loft area where Chuck bought more wine, shared more stories including his time being detained for twenty months or so. I was riveted.
We’ve spoke about his lawsuit with Sly – “it was just business”. Chuck has Titanic respect for Sly, and truly loves him, he has from day one. He said without Ali/Rocky he’d be a different person. It was a gift that fate called on him the way it did.
He’s in pre-production with Hollywood for his life’s story – THE BLEEDER, Lev Schrieber playing Chuck. He thought I might make a good Stallone, purchasing a ticket to the fight, showing that moment when Rocky was born in Sly’s eyes. He said he’d tell the producer. What could I say to something like that? I nodded and tried not to pass out.
Craig, Zoners may have their own opinion about the man, but they can’t deny he’s had an extraordinary life.
It’s my pleasure to call him a friend.
Mike Kunda
Sounds like a very, very cool evening. Thanks for sharing it with us, Mike. – Craig
The Rambo video game is coming and Sly and Richard Crenna’s voices will be used for Rambo…
On March 1, 2013, Vinnie Jones was profiled in Metro in a piece called, I‘d Rather Chat about Golf with Sylvester Stallone than Fight. He spoke a bit about working with Sly on The Tomb and his hope to be a part of Expendables III. Here’s a taste…
<Jones> can be seen starring alongside action movie legends Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger in jail drama The Tomb, due out in September. Jones plays a corrupt prison warden.
‘Sly and I had a major fight scene which took about three days to shoot,’ says Jones. ‘I suppose it’ll last about three minutes in the film but it was extraordinary. We had more stamina for talking about golf than fighting – Sly had brought his driver with him on set to show me his back swing.’
Jones says he’s also in talks for a part in The Expendables 3 after approaching Stallone on set. Sly’s action movie series already stars Jones’s Lock, Stock… co-star Jason Statham.
‘It’s all got to be written yet so nobody knows how big the roles are,’ says Jones. ‘But yeah, it’s been spoken about with him and Kevin King, Sly’s producing partner, so that’s an exciting prospect.’
On February 24, 2013, the Mirror posted a slightly bigger version of the photo above of Sly heading to the set of Grudge Match. They also have a similar shot of Robert Deniro.
Here are some tidbits from the piece:
The comedy sees the stars play rival fighters persuaded to come out of retirement for one final bout… 50 years after their last match.
A Hollywood insider said: “This has all the makings of a classic. Not only have you got two of the biggest names in Hollywood, but you’ve got the lead roles in the two most famous boxing films of all time.
“Getting Jake Lamotta and Rocky Balboa to square up after all these years is absolute genius, and I’m sure a lot of people are very excited about the prospect of watching them slugging it out.”
Here’s our first look at Sly and Robert Deniro on the set of their forthcoming film, Grudge Match. It’s going to be interesting to see Rocky vs the Raging Bull.
On a side note, did you notice that Sly’s tats are covered for this role.
Grudge Match opens November 15, 2013.
On February 4, 2013, Sean O’Connell at Cinema Blend asked (and answered), Are Sylvester Stallone And Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Careers Over?
No doubt that this article was brought on by the much lower than expected box office of Arnold’s The Last Stand and Sly’s Bullet to the Head. Here are a few tidbits from O’Connell’s piece…
Stallone’s Expendables franchise, for starters, proves that ticket buyers will show up to see these action icons kicking ass on screen.
… you can also point to Liam Neeson’s Taken franchise as a lucrative property built on the shoulders of an older action hero. The 60-year-old Irishman’s only a few years behind Schwarzenegger (65) and Stallone (66), yet he doesn’t lean on his seniority as a punchline, and audiences have very little trouble accepting him as a lethal weapon.
I’d say that both men have some life in their action-hero legs, and these two abysmal openings just coincidentally occurred within weeks of each other.
On January 31, 2013, CBS News posted their interview with Sly Stallone about working with Walter Hill on Bullet to the Head.