Editing Rocky II (section)

==Production==

===Development and writing===
[[File:Rocky II (1979) - Rocky's Run.ogv|thumb|Rocky's run on [[Benjamin Franklin Parkway]], [[Spring Garden, Philadelphia|Spring Garden]] Street, and the [[Rocky Steps]]. Approximately 800 children were used as extras in this scene.]]
After the enormous success of the first ''[[Rocky]]'', the producers were anxious to make a sequel. Stallone again wrote the script, originally titled ''Rocky II: Redemption'', but John G. Avildsen declined to direct again because he was busy with pre-production on ''[[Saturday Night Fever]]''. Stallone wanted the job and waged as big a campaign as he had for the lead role in the previous film. United Artists executives were reluctant to give the actor the directing reins because, while he had previously directed the drama ''[[Paradise Alley]]'', it was not a success. However, producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff understood how much of the success of the first ''Rocky'' had come from Stallone's enormous input and lobbied hard to get him the job. Stallone wanted boxer [[Chuck Wepner]] to play Rocky's sparring partner, but Wepner was in a destructive cycle and failed his audition.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Alexander |first=Bryan |title='Chuck': Five things you should know about the real 'Rocky' Chuck Wepner |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2017/05/02/who-is-real-rocky-chuck-wepner/101158422/ |access-date=2024-01-16 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Filming===
The story development of Rocky surprising Creed by switching to fighting right-handed was not in the original script and only came about because of an accident on set. While getting in shape for the film, Stallone experienced an almost complete tear on his right pectoralis major muscle while trying to bench press 100&nbsp;kg with bodybuilder [[Franco Columbu]] and underwent a partially successful surgery in order to try to reattach the muscle. Therefore, he could not fight with his left hand.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/06/13/archives/rocky-fights-it-over-sports-of-the-times.html|title=Rocky Fights It over|newspaper=The New York Times|date=13 June 1979}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://theweek.com/articles/491907/sylvester-stallones-aging-physique|title=Sylvester Stallone's aging physique|website=[[The Week]] |date=12 August 2010 }}</ref>

The film's ending fight sequence also posed a challenge because at the time Talia Shire was busy making the drama ''[[Old Boyfriends]]'' and couldn't be on the set. So Stallone came up with the idea of having her watch the fight from home because of the new baby. Adrian's scenes were actually filmed some months later, toward the end of the shoot.{{citation needed|date =November 2021}}

An estimated 800 school children were used as [[extra (actor)|extras]] in the scene in which Rocky runs through Philadelphia<ref>{{cite news
| first = Janet
| last = Maslin
| title = Screen: 'Rocky II' Fights a Rematch: Second Stanza....
| url = http://movies2.nytimes.com/mem/movies/review.html?_r=2&title1=&title2=Rocky%20II%20%28Movie%29&reviewer=JANET%20MASLIN&v_id=41859&pdate=19790615&partner=Rotten%20Tomatoes&oref=slogin&oref=login
| format = Subscription required
| work = [[The New York Times]]
| date = 1979-06-15
}}</ref> and climbs the steps at the [[Philadelphia Museum of Art]].
{{Clear}}