Rocky V

Rocky V
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJohn G. Avildsen
Written bySylvester Stallone
Based onCharacters
by Sylvester Stallone
Produced by
Starring
CinematographySteven Poster
Edited by
  • John G. Avildsen
  • Michael N. Knue
Music byBill Conti
Production
company
Chartoff-Winkler Productions
Distributed by
Release date
  • November 16, 1990 (1990-11-16) (United States)
Running time
104 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$30–42 million
Box office$120 million

Rocky V is a 1990 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the sequel to Rocky IV (1985) and the fifth installment in the Rocky franchise. It also stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, Stallone's son Sage in his film debut, Tommy Morrison, and Burgess Meredith. In the film, a financially struggling Rocky Balboa (Stallone) agrees to train protégé Tommy Gunn (Morrison) at the gym once owned by Balboa's trainer Mickey Goldmill (Meredith).

Development for the film began in 1989, after Stallone, who wanted to end the series, completed the screenplay. Avildsen, who directed the first film, was soon confirmed to return and principal photography began in January 1990, being largely filmed on location around Philadelphia. The filmmakers encountered creative differences with United Artists and were unable to include darker elements of Stallone's original screenplay.

Rocky V was released in the United States on November 16, 1990. The film received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics, who criticized the screenplay, characterization, continuity errors, and medical inaccuracies, and initially deemed it a disappointing conclusion to the series. Nevertheless, the film was commercially successful, grossing $120 million worldwide on a $30–42 million budget, albeit becoming the lowest-grossing film of the franchise. A sequel, Rocky Balboa, was released in 2006.