Stallone Steps Into the Spotlight: Memoir & Biopic Double Feature
Sylvester Stallone isn't done fighting. The 77-year-old icon just dropped Steps, his long-awaited memoir, and the timing couldn't be better—I Play Rocky, a new biographical film chronicling the making of the 1976 Oscar winner, is hitting screens soon.
For those of us who grew up running the steps at the Art Museum (or just the bleachers at West Aurora High), Stallone's underdog story hits different. Steps skips the glossy highlight reel. Instead, he writes about the eviction notices, the $106 bank account, and the refusal to sell the Rocky script unless he starred in it. It's the blueprint for every "bet on yourself" pep talk you've ever needed.
The film, directed by Creed helmer Ryan Coogler's producing partner, digs into the gritty 28-day shoot that turned a $1M gamble into a global phenomenon. Expect deep cuts on the "Gonna Fly Now" training montages filmed in Philly's snow—and the studio fights that nearly killed the project.
Aurora angle: Catch I Play Rocky at Paramount Theatre (they're doing a throwback double feature with the original Rocky on opening weekend) or stream Steps via the Aurora Public Library's Libby app—free with your card.
Whether you're a Die Hard action fan or just love a Chicago-area comeback story, this one-two punch delivers. Yo, Adrian—we made it.
