Category: Driven

Maybe They Call It “Rocky Road”

Craig / / 2000, Celebs, Driven

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

Sly in FHM

Craig / / 2000, Celebs, Driven, Rocky

DRIVEN 4/27

A hotshot rookie driver hits a slump and realizes he needs the help of a grizzled old vetern who, incidentally, looks a lot like Rocky Balboa.

With SLYVESTER STALLONE, BURT REYNOLDS, KIP PARDUE and GINA GERSHON

Go speed racer In a feat that never ceases to amaze, screenwriter STALLONE strung together enough words to pen an entire script. At least you can count on director RENNY HARLIN [“CLIFFHANGER’] to make stellar racing scenes.
Get this: While filming, HARLINE was planning the DVD, which will let the viewer watch the races from various angles: high above, on the side or in the driver’s seat.

5 THINGS THAT YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT ROCKY

1 SYLVESTER STALLONE wrote his first draft of the script in three frenzied days. That version ended with Rocky throwing the fight.

2 Even though he had only $105 in the bank, STALLONE originally turned down offers of as much as $350,000 for the script from producers who wouldn’t let him play Rocky.

3 To get the green light from the studio, the producers had to agree to keep their budget below $1 million and agree to cover any extra charges out of their own pockets. Both producers ended up mortgaging their house.

4 When production moved from LA to Philadelphia, STALLONE could only afford to travel by train. Accompanying him on the 3-day ride was his dog Butkus, who appears in the film and who had putrid gas throughout the trip. In Arizona, SLY literally picked up the pooch and squeezed him, but the dog refused to empty its bowels until they got to Philadelphia and SLY‘s hotel carpet.

5 The famous shot of Rocky celebrating at the top of the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps was originally filmed as a tight shot on Rocky with a zoom out. Later, the director decided he wanted to start wide and zoom in. In the film, the footage is actually playing backward.

Thanks to Ernest “Jazzman” Resendes! – Craig Zablo