After 50 Years, The Entire Rocky Movie Series Officially Has A New Home

Published Oct 3, 2026, 1:45 PM EDT

Padraig is a Senior Features Writer and has been part of Screen Rant since 2017. Padraig is a writer, editor and retired Game of Thrones extra who has been writing about movies and TV online for over a decade. He has also written for The Irish Times, Den Of Geek, Little White Lies and many more. It's pronounced Paw-rick, BTW.

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A half century after its debut, Rocky has found a brand new streaming home. The Rocky movie saga is likely to receive a renewed wave of love very soon, with the arrival of the Sylvester Stallone biopic I Play Rocky. This follows Stallone (played by Anthony Ippolito) as he pens the screenplay for the 1976 original, and resists high-money offers from producers to buy it off him so a proven movie star could play the part.

I Play Rocky has received glowing reviews ahead of its November 2026 release, with the film underlining for audiences why Rocky is the ultimate underdog story. Stallone was a broke actor and writer who penned the role of a lifetime for himself, and who faced an uphill battle to get himself cast.

50 years and eight movies later, it's as beloved as it's ever been. Sadly, Stallone quit the Rocky franchise following Creed 2, citing various issues with producers, including their continued unwillingness to give him a percentage of the property. While fans await news of the upcoming Creed IV, they can catch up with the sports saga itself on Prime Video right now.

The Whole Rocky Movie Series Is Officially Available On Prime Video From October 1

For those who've never entered the ring with the series (or those wanting to revisit Rocky's journey), the franchise's arrival on Prime is welcome news. Of course, like any long-running property, some movies are better than others, with 1990's Rocky V, in particular, continuing to be a self-serious bummer.

Still, the Rocky saga is great for a binge-watch, charting the personal and professional highs and lows of its lovable lead. Stallone was one of the first A-listers to start cultivating franchises for himself, such as Rambo or The Expendables. Rocky has always been the most personal, with the star injecting his own experiences directly into the sequels.

In addition to Anthony Ippolito inheriting an iconic role from Sylvester Stallone in I Play Rocky, Noah Centineo will play Rambo in the upcoming prequel John Rambo.

Rocky III, for instance, followed the titular boxer as he struggles with his own fame and losing the "eye of the tiger" as a result, reflecting Stallone's own brush with stardom. Rocky Balboa from 2006 was a meditation by Stallone on his flagging career, as the star hadn't fronted a hit movie in over a decade and had been written off by both Hollywood and audiences.

The whole Rocky series, including the Creed spinoffs, is an emotional, uplifting and moving ride. Sure, it can get silly and overblown at times, but even the lesser installments are worth watching as part of the character's journey.

Why Prime Video Is A Perfect New Streaming Home For The Rocky Series

Trying to binge a classic franchise can be frustrating in the modern era. A series can often be split across different streaming platforms, and some entries might not even be available due to rights issues. Rocky is perfect for Prime Video, as it's becoming a reliable place to find franchises in their entirety.

For example, the four-part John Wick series is now available on Prime in its entirety for the first time ever. The thing with Rocky is that it's hard to stop after one movie, so while viewers still might want to skip a sequel or two (again, looking at you, Rocky V), it's ideal to have the whole franchise available to make that choice. Sure, the original has one of the most satisfying endings to any drama ever made - but it's hard to resist going through Balboa's whole arc with the later movies.

Question 1 of 3

I Play Rocky is liable to be a big hit when it arrives (not to mention an Oscar contender), so it would be smart to binge the Rocky story ahead of its release. Who knows, if the groundswell of support for the biopic is huge enough, maybe Stallone could be convinced to return for Creed IV after all - or maybe a final solo movie where he mentors another young fighter.

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  Movie(s)

  Rocky, Rocky II, Rocky III, Rocky IV, Rocky V, Rocky Balboa, Creed, Creed II, Creed III

  First Film

  Rocky

  Genres

  Sports, Action, Drama

  Cast

  Sylvester Stallone, Michael B. Jordan, Talia Shire, Carl Weathers, Burt Young, Tony Burton, Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, Burgess Meredith, Mr. T, Dolph Lundgren, Brigitte Nielsen, Antonio Tarver, Wood Harris, Florian Munteanu, Jonathan Majors

  Character(s)

  Rocky Balboa, Adonis Creed, Adrian, Apollo Creed, Paulie Pennino, Tony Evers, Bianca Taylor, Mary Anne Creed, Mickey Goldmill, James Lang, Ivan Drago, Ludmilla Drago, Mason Dixon, Tony Burton, Viktor Drago, Damian Anderson

  Director

  John G. Avildsen, Sylvester Stallone, Ryan Coogler, Steven Caple Jr., Michael B. Jordan

  The Rocky franchise follows boxer Rocky Balboa's rise from underdog to champion, and later, Adonis Creed's journey to honor his father, Apollo Creed. The films chronicle Rocky's several rises and falls, and both it and the Creed series deal with their titular character's internal and external struggles both in the ring and out.

• 

  Rocky

  Release Date

  November 20, 1976

  Runtime

  120 minutes

  • 

    Robert 'Rocky' Balboa

  • 

    Talia Shire

    Adrianna 'Adrian' Pennino