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74-557: In many cases, the sequel continues elements of the original story, often with the same characters and settings. A sequel can lead to a series , in which key elements appear repeatedly. The difference between more than one sequel and a series is somewhat arbitrary. Sequels are attractive to creators and publishers because there is less risk involved in returning to a story with known popularity rather than developing new and untested characters and settings. Audiences are sometimes eager for more stories about popular characters or settings, making

148-414: A hit single and received a nomination for Best Original Song at the 55th Academy Awards . The sequel, Rocky IV , was released in 1985. In 1981, five years after winning the world heavyweight championship against Apollo Creed , Rocky Balboa has had a string of ten successful title defenses and his fame, wealth, and celebrity profile have increased. Rocky's manager, Mickey Goldmill, worriedly eyes

222-412: A built-in audience and reducing the financial risk associated with launching a new and unproven concept . Additionally, sequels of a formula that players already enjoy, balancing familiarity with new features or improvements, which can increase player retention and positive reception . In some cases, the characters or the settings of an original film or video game become so valuable that they develop into

296-579: A crossover film. A reboot is a start over from a previous work. It could either be a film set in a new universe resembling the old one or it could be a regular spin-off film that starts a new film series. Reboots are usually a part of the same media franchise as the previous works, but not always. Batman Begins , Casino Royale , Star Trek , Børning , Man of Steel , and Terminator: Genisys are examples of reboot films. Kathleen Loock has written that traditional reboots tended to stray away from depicting direct narrative or stylistic correlations to

370-463: A dependable business strategy. Sequels are now a dominant trend in the industry, making up a large proportion of new releases from major publishers . One reason seso prevalent is their ability to provide a stable revenue stream in a volatile market. Building on an existing brand with an established fan base, sequels are perceived as safer investments than new intellectual properties (IP). They allow companies to capitalize on previous successes, ensuring

444-503: A different perspective. Strict legacy parallels are Kirill Eskov 's novel The Last Ringbearer (1999) retelling the events of J. R. R. Tolkien 's The Lord of the Rings (1955) from the viewpoint of benevolent Mordorians combatting the malevolent West. Likewise, Alice Randall 's novel The Wind Done Gone (2001), contemporary to Margaret Mitchell 's Gone With the Wind (1936), tells

518-437: A haymaker left hook in the second round, winning the world heavyweight championship. After the match, Rocky tells a dying Mickey that the match ended in a second round knockout without saying who the victor was. Mickey tells Rocky, "I love ya, kid", and dies. Rocky, lapsing into severe depression, mourns over Mickey's death. Stopping by Mickey's closed gym, the forlorn Rocky encounters his former rival, Apollo Creed, who witnessed

592-554: A more complete fighter. During the training process, Apollo and Rocky become close friends. After months of training, the rematch takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York City . Apollo lends Rocky the American flag trunks that he wore during their first match. At the outset of the match, Rocky sprints from his corner, battering Lang with a level of skill and spirit that no one ever expected. Rocky completely dominates

666-455: A requel as something that "exploits goodwill toward the past while launching a new generation of actors and stories". A standalone sequel is a work set in the same universe, yet has little or no narrative connection to its predecessor, and can stand on its own without a thorough understanding of the series. A Shot in the Dark (1964), Big Top Pee-wee (1988), Halloween III: Season of

740-665: A satirical romance), for example, Cervantes disapproved of Alonso Fernández de Avellaneda 's use of his characters in Second Volume of the Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha , an unauthorized sequel. In response, Cervantes very firmly kills the protagonist at the end of the Second Part to discourage any more such creative liberties. Another example is Samuel Richardson , an 18th-century author who responded particularly strongly against

814-443: A series, lately referred to as a media franchise . Generally, a whole series of sequels is made, along with merchandising . Multiple sequels are often planned well in advance, and actors and directors may sign extended contracts to ensure their participation. This can extend into a series/franchise's initial production's plot to provide story material to develop for sequels called sequel hooks. Examples of major media franchises include

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888-417: A sports competition, and was mesmerized by the winner's physical prowess as well as his charisma. She then called the producer, Don Ohlmeyer, to ask him about "the man with the mohawk". It turned out that not only was Mr. T a perfect fit, but he also proved tremendously determined to give the best possible performance right from the first screen test , for what would be his breakout role . In preparation for

962-399: A text-based to an author-centered reading culture led to the "professionalization" of the author – that is, the development of a "sense of identity based on a marketable skill and on supplying to a defined public a specialized service it was demanding." In one sense, then, sequels became a means to profit further from previous work that had already obtained some measure of commercial success. As

1036-496: A young and powerful contender rapidly rising through the ranks, James "Clubber" Lang . While unveiling a statue of himself at the stairway by the Philadelphia Museum of Art , Rocky begins to announce his retirement, but is cut short when Lang, now the number-one contender, publicly challenges him. Lang accuses Rocky of intentionally accepting challenges from lesser opponents and goads Rocky into accepting his fight for

1110-536: Is Mute (2018), a spiritual sequel to the film Moon (2009). A parallel , paraquel , or sidequel is a story that runs at the same point in time as the original story. For instance, three different novels by John Morressy — Starbrat (1972), Stardrift (1973; also known as Nail Down the Stars ), and Under a Calculating Star (1975) — involve different lead characters, mostly in different places, but overlap at one dramatic event to which each novel provides

1184-545: Is a 1982 American sports drama film written, directed by, and starring Sylvester Stallone . The film is the sequel to Rocky II (1979) and the third installment in the Rocky film series . It also stars Talia Shire , Burt Young , Carl Weathers , and Burgess Meredith . In the film, Rocky Balboa (Stallone) faces stiff competition from Clubber Lang (Mr. T), a powerful new contender, and turns to his old adversary Apollo Creed (Weathers) to help him train. Development of

1258-434: Is a pretty tired Rocky Balboa and has gotten him up on his feet again ... Rocky III works, possibly even better than numbers I and II ." Rita Kempley of The Washington Post called it "as much fun as ever, a ground-meat-and-potatoes movie, with guys beating hell out of each other to a disco beat." Tom Milne of The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote, "Starting off with a replay of our hero's second miraculous return from

1332-513: Is an interquel of 'movies A' and 'B', the events of 'movie C' take place after the events of 'movie A', but before the events of 'movie B'. Examples can include Rogue One (2016) and Solo (2018) of Star Wars , some films of the Fast & Furious franchise, and Saw X . An intraquel , on the other hand, is a work which focuses on events within a previous work. Examples include Bambi 2 (2005) and Black Widow (2021). A threequel

1406-426: Is conceived in the 21st century developed from the novella and romance traditions in a slow process that culminated towards the end of the 17th century. The substantial shift toward a rapidly growing print culture and the rise of the market system by the early 18th-century meant that an author's merit and livelihood became increasingly linked to the number of copies of a work he or she could sell. This shift from

1480-416: Is made following the original product which portrays events occurring chronologically before those of the original work. Although its name is based on the word sequel , not all prequels are true prequels that are part of a main series. Prequels that are not part of a main series are called spin-off prequels , while prequels that are part of a main series are called true prequels . Examples of prequels include

1554-472: Is the third work after the first sequel. They act as a continuation, and sometimes a conclusion of plot threads from the first two works. Examples include Return of the Jedi (1983), and Rocky III (1982). A legacy sequel is a work that follows the continuity of the original works, but takes place much further along the timeline, often focusing on new characters with the original ones still present in

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1628-594: Is violently shoved by Lang, resulting in a heart attack (Mickey had a heart issue earlier in the film during Rocky's charity fight with pro wrestler Thunderlips). Distraught, Rocky wants to call the match off, but Mickey urges him on while he receives medical care in the dressing room. Rocky's lack of preparation is worsened by his concern for Mickey, preventing him from fully concentrating on the fight. The match begins with Rocky pounding Lang with several huge blows, looking for an early knockout, but Lang quickly recovers and takes charge, dominating Rocky and finishing him off with

1702-836: The Creed films (2015-present), Mary Poppins Returns (2018), The Matrix Resurrections (2021), Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008), Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023) , and the Jurassic World Trilogy (2015–2022) are examples of legacy sequels. Another term for these types of movies is requel , meaning reboot sequel, a term originally coined by Bruce Campbell to describe Evil Dead 2 (1987) in relation to The Evil Dead (1981). Film journalist Pamela McClintock describes

1776-495: The Star Wars prequel trilogy (1999-2005), Tremors 4: The Legend Begins (2004) which took place chronologically before the events of the previous Tremors films , Better Call Saul (2015–2022) taking place mainly before Breaking Bad but also having some scenes after and during it, The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning (2008) occurring chronologically before the events of The Little Mermaid TV series (1992-1994),

1850-694: The Marvel Cinematic Universe , Pokemon , Harry Potter , and Disney Princess . Movie sequels do not always do as well at the box office as the original, but they tend to do better than non-sequels, according to a study in the July 2008 issue of the Journal of Business Research . The shorter the period between releases, the better the sequel does at the box office. Sequels also show a faster drop in weekly revenues relative to non-sequels. A quantitative mega-analysis of box office earnings from all

1924-429: The 18th century novel. While in certain historical contexts unofficial sequels were actually the norm (for an example, see Arthurian literature ), with the emphasis on the author function that arises in conjunction with the novel many authors began to see these kinds of unauthorized extensions as being in direct conflict with authorial authority. In the matter of Don Quixote (an early novel, perhaps better classified as

1998-481: The 18th century sequels often served as "models of paternity and property", for women writers these models were more likely to be seen as transgressive. Instead, the recurring readership created by sequels let female writers function within the model of "familiar acquaintances reunited to enjoy the mutual pleasures of conversation", and made their writing an "activity within a private, non-economic sphere". Through this created perception women writers were able to break into

2072-507: The 34 films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe form the highest-grossing film series even when adjusted for inflation, surpassing J. K. Rowling's Wizarding World (11 films), Star Wars (12 films), Ian Fleming's James Bond (27 films), and J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth (6 films) series. Shared universes for which some properties also have their own entries. Canada and U.S. gross only. Distributor rental. 66 years, 10 months Rocky III Rocky III

2146-520: The Planet of the Apes (2024), Twisters (2024) and Jurassic World Rebirth (2025) are examples of standalone sequels. A plot reset , or resetquel is a work set in the same universe of its predecessor that resets the plot in a different premise or setting of the work's predecessor with more than one of the same predecessor characters to appease the audience due to extremely negative reception of

2220-658: The Principal Characters in David Simple and David Simple, Volume the Last are extremely innovative and cover almost the entire range of popular narrative styles of the 18th century. The cost of developing triple-A video games has increased significantly over recent years, often reaching tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars due to high expectations for detailed graphics, expansive worlds, and advanced gameplay. Video game companies have turned to sequels as

2294-608: The United States and Canada. Sometimes the work is conceived from the beginning as a multiple-film work—for example, the Three Colours series—but in most cases the success of the original film (or an original series in the case of the Skywalker Saga ) inspires further films to be made. Individual sequels are relatively common but are not always successful enough to spawn further installments. As of 2024,

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2368-674: The Witch (1982), Home Alone 3 (1997), The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006), Species - The Awakening (2007), Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011), Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2011), Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water (2015), Wonder Woman 1984 (2020), Spirit Untamed (2021), Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021), Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022), Kingdom of

2442-501: The animated Little Mermaid film (1989), and The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea (2000), and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024), which took place before Mad Max: Fury Road (2015). A midquel is a term used to refer to works which take place between events. Types include interquels and intraquels. An interquel is a story that takes place in between two previously published or released stories. For example, if 'movie C'

2516-488: The appropriation of his material by unauthorized third parties. Richardson was extremely vocal in his disapproval of the way the protagonist of his novel Pamela was repeatedly incorporated into unauthorized sequels featuring particularly lewd plots. The most famous of these is Henry Fielding 's parody, entitled Shamela . In To Renew Their Former Acquaintance: Print, Gender, and Some Eighteenth Century Sequels , Betty Schellenberg theorizes that whereas for male writers in

2590-422: The consent of the creator of the original work. These may be dubbed unofficial, informal, unauthorized, or illegitimate sequels. In some cases, the work is in the public domain , and there is no legal obstacle to producing sequels. An example would be books and films serving as sequels to the book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz , which is in the public domain (as opposed to its 1939 film adaptation ). In other cases,

2664-505: The day with a swim. Personnel The version of "Eye of the Tiger" that appears in the film is actually a demo—the "finished" version is what appears on the soundtrack. Also missing from the soundtrack is the instrumental version of the song played when Rocky is training in Apollo's old gym. A re-release Rocky III: Original Motion Picture Score CD was released on July 23, 1996 Rocky III

2738-460: The dead to win the championship back at the end of Rocky II —itself a virtual repeat from the original Rocky — Rocky III soon demonstrates that it has nothing to offer but more of the same ... There are fleeting moments, thanks chiefly to a personable performance from Carl Weathers, but the time has surely come for Rocky Balboa to take the final count." The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists: A sequel titled Rocky IV ,

2812-413: The early rounds, loses his temper and starts throwing punches wildly as Rocky taunts him, gradually running out of stamina. With Lang rattled and vulnerable, Rocky strikes back with a flurry of punches, culminating in a brutal knockout to reclaim the heavyweight championship. Afterwards, Rocky fulfills Apollo's favor: a third, private rematch with him at Mighty Mick's Gym. The film concludes without showing

2886-507: The economic sphere and "enhance their professional status" through authorship. Dissociated from the motives of profit and therefore unrestrained by the need for continuity felt by male writers, Schellenberg argues that female-authored sequel fiction tended to have a much broader scope. He says that women writers showed an "innovative freedom" that male writers rejected to "protect their patrimony". For example, Sarah Fielding 's Adventures of David Simple and its sequels Familiar Letters between

2960-414: The establishment of a readership became increasingly important to the economic viability of authorship, sequels offered a means to establish a recurring economic outlet. In addition to serving economic profit, the sequel was also used as a method to strengthen an author's claim to his literary property. With weak copyright laws and unscrupulous booksellers willing to sell whatever they could, in some cases

3034-425: The film began soon after the release of its predecessor. Stallone began a strict diet and workout regimen in preparation for Rocky III . Despite the returns of the original cast being secured quickly, casting for Lang proved difficult, with real boxers Joe Frazier and Earnie Shavers attached to the project at various points. Mr. T was hired in 1981 after appearing on the television series Games People Play and

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3108-456: The film is considered his breakthrough role . Rocky III is the first film in the franchise not solely distributed by United Artists , due to the company's merger with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) in 1981. Rocky III was released in the United States on May 28, 1982, by MGM/UA Entertainment Co. The film received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for its action sequences and music but criticism for its screenplay, with some critics deeming

3182-417: The film unnecessary. Retrospective reviews have been more positive and the movie gained a strong cult following. Rocky III grossed $ 270 million worldwide, surpassing its predecessors to become the then-highest grossing film in the franchise, and the fourth highest grossing film at the domestic box office and the second highest grossing film of 1982 worldwide. Its theme song , " Eye of the Tiger ", became

3256-431: The film, Stallone claims to have got his body fat percentage down to his all-time low of 2.6% and weighed 155 lbs. He stated that he ate only ten egg whites and a piece of toast a day, having a fruit every third day. His training consisted of a two-mile jog in the morning followed by two hours of weight training, a nap during the afternoon followed by 18 rounds of sparring, another weight training session, and finishing

3330-479: The first Lang fight, while boxing judge Marty Denkin was the referee. Lou Filippo returned for his third appearance as a referee during the second Lang fight. Dennis James ( Price Is Right ) and Jim Healy appeared as the commentators for the Rocky–Thunderlips match, while LeRoy Neiman was the guest ring announcer. Jim Hill was a TV announcer. A then-unknown Morgan Freeman auditioned unsuccessfully for

3404-417: The first one, either continuing the remaining plot threads or introducing a new conflict to drive the events of the second story. They can either pick up right where the first work left off, or continue sometime after the events of the first work ended. This is often called a direct sequel . Examples include Toy Story 2 (1999) and The Empire Strikes Back (1980). A prequel is an installment that

3478-416: The first round, leaving Lang enraged and bewildered after the bell. Lang gains the upper hand in the second round, and Rocky adopts an entirely different strategy that angers and confuses Apollo by intentionally taking a beating from Lang , even getting knocked down twice, all the while taunting Lang that he cannot knock him out. By the third round, Lang, who is used to winning matches swiftly with knockouts in

3552-449: The life story of a mulatto woman born enslaved on the O'Hara plantation and The Lion King 1½ (2004), featuring the origins of characters Timon and Pumbaa occurring simultaneously within the original 1994 film . Major film examples of true parallels include This is 40 ,sidequel to Knocked Up , focusing mainly on the side story of Pete ( Paul Rudd ) and Debbie ( Leslie Mann ), who are the in-laws of Alison Scott ( Katherine Heigl ) from

3626-434: The major movie studios revealed that franchise movies dominate the highest grossing films lists, establishing sequels as reliable kinds of movies to make. All studios have come to rely on releasing sequels as they increase the studios' profitability, yield to the consumer demand for simultaneous novelty and familiarity, and help manage risk and uncertainty within studio production and release. Sequels are most often produced in

3700-751: The match as a guest analyst. Apollo offers to help train Rocky for a rematch against Lang in exchange for a future favor, which Rocky accepts. Apollo then takes Rocky to the gym where he once trained, Tough Gym in Los Angeles . Apollo becomes frustrated by Rocky's lack of effort, as the latter is still haunted by nightmares of Lang and unable to train without Mickey by his side. However, Rocky regains his focus after Adrian helps him come to terms with Mickey's death. Apollo and his manager, Tony "Duke" Evers, infuse Rocky's undisciplined brawling style with more of Apollo's trademark footwork, skill and speed, rebuilding him into

3774-650: The meaning of " art ". Claiming the statue was not "art" but rather a "movie prop " the city considered various alternative locations and settled upon the front of the Spectrum in South Philadelphia. It was later returned to the Art Museum where it was used in the filming of Rocky V , as well as Mannequin and Philadelphia . Afterward, it was again moved to the front of the Spectrum. The statue

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3848-486: The only way to prove ownership of a text was to produce another like it. Sequels in this sense are rather limited in scope, as the authors are focused on producing "more of the same" to defend their "literary paternity". As is true throughout history, sequels to novels provided an opportunity for authors to interact with a readership. This became especially important in the economy of the 18th century novel, in which authors often maintained readership by drawing readers back with

3922-439: The original creator or their heirs may assert copyrights , and challenge the creators of the sequels. Film series A film series or movie series is a collection of related films in succession that share the same fictional universe , or are marketed as a series. This article explains what film series are and gives brief examples of movie series. The body shows a list of the most popular film series and franchises in

3996-412: The original film. Alongside sequels, there are also other types of continuation or inspiration of a previous work. A spin-off is a work that is not a sequel to any previous works, but is set in the same universe. It is a separate work-on-its-own in the same franchise as the series of other works. Spin-offs are often focused on one or more of the minor characters from the other work or new characters in

4070-562: The plot. They are often made many years after the original works were made. Legacy sequels are sometimes also direct sequels that ignore previous installments entirely, effectively retconning preceding events . Superman Returns (2006), Halloween (2018), Candyman (2021), Cobra Kai (2018-2025), Blade Runner 2049 (2017), the Star Wars sequel trilogy (2015-2019), Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021), Terminator: Dark Fate (2019), Tron: Legacy (2010), Top Gun: Maverick (2022), Doctor Sleep (2019), Rocky Balboa (2006),

4144-580: The predecessor. An example: The Suicide Squad (2021) to Suicide Squad (2016). A spiritual sequel is a work inspired by its predecessor. It shares the same styles, genres and elements as its predecessor, but has no direct connection to it at all. Most spiritual sequels are also set in different universes from their predecessors, and some spiritual sequels aren't even a part of their predecessor's franchise, making them non-franchise sequels . Spiritual sequels can sometimes be repurposed from material originally intended to be direct sequels. An example of this

4218-414: The previous versions of the franchise. Contemporary reboots lean into the nostalgia factor and create new stories that simultaneously revel in the aspects of the original franchise that made it notable in the first place. In The Afterlife of a Character , David Brewer describes a reader's desire to "see more", or to know what happens next in the narrative after it has ended. The origin of the sequel as it

4292-502: The production of multiple novel sequels, sometimes rivaling or even dwarfing the volume of works in the original medium. For example, the 1956 novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians , its 1961 animated adaptation and that film's 1996 live-action remake each have a sequel unrelated to the other sequels: respectively The Starlight Barking (1967), 101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure (2003, direct to video) and 102 Dalmatians (2000). Sometimes sequels are produced without

4366-408: The production of sequels financially appealing. In film, sequels are very common. There are many name formats for sequels. Sometimes, they either have unrelated titles or have a letter added to the end. More commonly, they have numbers at the end or have added words at the end. It is also common for a sequel to have a variation of the original title or a subtitle. In the 1930s, many musical sequels had

4440-439: The production team's " quality control " of that film. Siskel stated "if you want a hugely successful series, then make sure that the second one is a winner." Rocky III holds a score of 66% rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes based on 44 reviews, with an average of 5.7/10. The film's consensus reads, "It's noticeably subject to the law of diminishing returns, but Rocky III still has enough brawny spectacle to stand in

4514-462: The promise of more of what they liked from the original. With sequels, therefore, came the implicit division of readers by authors into the categories of "desirable" and "undesirable"—that is, those who interpret the text in a way unsanctioned by the author. Only after having achieved a significant reader base would an author feel free to alienate or ignore the "undesirable" readers. This concept of "undesirable" readers extends to unofficial sequels with

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4588-466: The realization that all of his fights have been stacked in his favor, convinces Mickey to work with him for one last fight. Despite his promise to Mickey to "live in the gym", Rocky insists on allowing the public to watch him train in a crowded hotel ballroom filled with distractions. In contrast, Lang trains alone with ruthless determination and vigor. Lang and Rocky meet at Philadelphia's Spectrum on August 15, 1981. Pandemonium erupts backstage as Mickey

4662-417: The result, but freezes into an oil painting of two boxers simultaneously throwing the first punch, showing two equally skilled athletes facing each other not as rivals, but as friends. In addition to the main cast several others had cameo appearances . Bill Baldwin and Stu Nahan returned as the fight commentators for the two Rocky-Lang fights. Veteran ring announcer Jimmy Lennon was the ring announcer for

4736-609: The ring with the franchise's better entries". On Metacritic , the film has a weighted average score of 57 out of 100 based on reviews from 10 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". The film is one of the few which has received the rare A+ grade from audiences surveyed by CinemaScore . Gene Siskel gave the film two-and-a-half stars out of four and wrote, "Sorry to say this, but there's not anything new in Rocky III , and we sit there wondering why it exists." He added that "we see nothing new about Rocky's character, except that

4810-453: The role of Lang's trainer. Footage of Stallone's guest appearance on The Muppet Show was incorporated in the opening sequence, with Jim Henson dubbing Kermit the Frog 's announcement that the episode's guest was Rocky Balboa, rather than Stallone. For the role of Clubber Lang, two real world-class heavyweight boxers were first considered: Joe Frazier and Earnie Shavers . Both were about

4884-468: The same height as Sylvester Stallone and had the powerful physique he was looking for, but, according to casting director Rhonda Young, Frazier had a stuttering problem, while Shavers had a high-pitched voice which would have undermined the character's menacing presence. After looking far and wide (even going to prisons in the hope of finding a suitable antagonist), Rhonda Young stumbled upon a television program on NBC, America's Toughest Bouncer , showcasing

4958-626: The same medium as the previous work (e.g. a film sequel is usually a sequel to another film). Producing sequels to a work in another medium has also become common, especially when the new medium is less costly or time-consuming to produce. A sequel to a popular but discontinued television series may be produced in another medium, thereby bypassing whatever factors led to the series' cancellation such as Serenity (sequel to Firefly (TV series) ), Downton Abbey: A New Era (sequel to Downton Abbey ), and Veronica Mars (sequel to Veronica Mars ). Some highly popular movies and television series have inspired

5032-496: The same universe as the other work. The Scorpion King , Planes , Minions , Hobbs & Shaw and Lightyear are examples of spin-off movies while Star Trek: The Next Generation , Torchwood and CSI: NY are examples of spin-off television series. A crossover is a work where two previous works from different franchises are meeting in the same universe. Alien vs. Predator , Freddy vs. Jason , The Lego Movie and Deadpool & Wolverine are examples of

5106-505: The tender side of his soul, which made him so appealing, is now virtually missing. Rocky Balboa in Rocky III is no longer likable." Pauline Kael of The New Yorker stated, "The first Rocky was primitive in a relatively innocent way. This picture is primitive, but it's also shrewd and empty and inept." Sheila Benson of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "Somehow, Sylvester Stallone has kicked life into what you might imagine

5180-426: The title. Mickey initially wants no part of it; pressed by Rocky, Mickey confesses that he handpicked the opponents for Rocky's title defenses in order to spare him from another beating of the kind that Creed gave him in their rematch. He explains that Lang is young, powerful, and "hungry"; by contrast Rocky is "civilized" and no longer has the stamina and strength to fight a boxer of Lang's caliber. Rocky, shattered by

5254-402: The year included in the title. Sometimes sequels are released with different titles in different countries, because of the perceived brand recognition. There are several ways that subsequent works can be related to the chronology of the original. Various neologisms have been coined to describe them. The most common approach is for the events of the second work to directly follow the events of

5328-455: Was an enormous box office success and surpassed the gross of its predecessor. The film grossed $ 16,015,408 in its opening weekend and earned $ 125,049,125 during its North American theatrical run, becoming the fourth highest-grossing film of 1982; its worldwide box-office earnings stand at around $ 270 million. Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel attributed the film's success to the positive reaction from critics and audiences towards Rocky II and

5402-664: Was released in November 1985. A bronze statue of Rocky, called "ROCKY", was commissioned by Sylvester Stallone and created by A. Thomas Schomberg in 1981. Three statues were created, and one was placed on the top of the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art for the filming of Rocky III . After filming was complete, a furious debate erupted in Philadelphia between the Art Museum and the City's Art Commission over

5476-540: Was returned to the bottom of the museum's stairs on 8 September 2006. The steps leading to the east entrance of the Philadelphia Museum of Art are also known as “ The Rocky Steps .” A similar statue is located in Žitište , Serbia . A novelization by Robert E. Hoban was published by Ballantine Books in 1982. A video game based on the film was released in 1983, titled Rocky Super Action Boxing , designed by Coleco and released for ColecoVision . Players can play as either Rocky Balboa or Clubber Lang either against

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