Whether as an exchange of blows in the ring or as a political battle between the US and Russia against the backdrop of the Cold War, “Rocky IV – The Fight of the Century” is a symbol of a brutal struggle for to survive. Exaggeratedly staged and garnished with, among other things, a one-minute collage, the duel between Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) and Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) at the end is almost reminiscent of a music video – but that is precisely why it has always been revered as a cult and is in itself almost 40 years later it is by no means a thing of the past.
Lundgren not only celebrated his comeback as Drago in “Creed II – Rocky’s Legacy” but even had his son Viktor (Florian Munteanu) in tow. Stallone also made a brand new, ultimate version of the film in 2021 with “Rocky Vs. Drago – The Ultimate Director’s Cut,” which is available as a bonus with the limited 4K edition of “Rocky IV.”
But Rocky’s perhaps most iconic opponent still can’t be killed: Years ago, a potential specimen was discovered Spin-off of Drago announcedwhich then caused some commotion behind the scenes and briefly jeopardized the friendship between Dolph Lundgren and Sylvester Stallone.
After that the project went quiet. But Lundgren has now commented on a possible spin-off.
“I hope it happens”
“Things went really well for a while and there was a script,” Lundgren reveals . However, Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine made it necessary to question the script – and now “Creed III” star Jonathan Majors has finally been convicted, which could change a lot. “They were working on ‘Creed IV’ and now they’re kind of putting that on hold because of his [Anm.d.Red.: Michael B. Jordans] “The opponent now is someone who has been convicted, I think,” says Lundgren, who is hopeful about an uncertain future.
Because he doesn’t know what will happen next either. He hasn’t heard anything concrete yet, but he seems to be just waiting for it: “I hope this happens in the future!” However, the now 92-year-old producer Irwin Winkler, with whom Stallone has been in conflict for decades over the rights to the ‘Rocky’ universe, may also have something to say.
In terms of content, you could then tell a “Coming to America” story against the backdrop of the war, Lundgren says, which would then focus on the relationship between Ivan and Viktor Drago – and leave in a bitter, old Rocky opponent see who is now trying to prove himself through his son.
In “Creed IV” there is the possibility of a return of original star Rocky Balboa, if the movie actually happens: