Who directed the 2006 film Rocky Balboa?

Sylvester Stallone directed the 2006 film Rocky Balboa. He also wrote the screenplay and returned as Rocky Balboa, making the film a particularly personal continuation of the character’s story.

Rocky Balboa is the sixth film in the Rocky series and follows Rocky after a long retirement from boxing. Living as a widower and running a Philadelphia restaurant named after Adrian, he agrees to an exhibition match against the younger heavyweight champion Mason “The Line” Dixon, played by Antonio Tarver.

The movie was developed partly because Stallone felt Rocky V had provided an unsatisfying ending. Production began in late 2005, and the film was released on December 20, 2006—16 years after Rocky V. It earned generally positive reviews and grossed about $156 million worldwide.

A common mix-up is confusing Stallone’s role with that of John G. Avildsen, who directed the original Rocky and Rocky V. Ryan Coogler later directed Creed, while Steven Caple Jr. directed Creed II.