This documentary was originally intended to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Rocky (1976) in 2016, hence the title. Due to certain delays, production was put off for a couple of years.
Sylvester Stallone pitched the idea to director Derek Wayne Johnson and producer Chris May after a private screening of their documentary John G. Avildsen: King of the Underdogs (2017), in which Stallone is also featured.
Some of the behind-the-scenes footage featured in this documentary was found in Troma Entertainment President Lloyd Kaufman's basement nearly forty years after it was filmed. Mr. Kaufman worked as the Production Manager on Rocky (1976).
Oscar-winning director John G. Avildsen shot most of the behind-the-scenes and rehearsal footage featured in this documentary during the making of Rocky (1976).
Aka "Becoming Rocky: The Birth of a Classic" outside the U.S. & Canada
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By what name was 40 Years of Rocky: The Birth of a Classic (2020) officially released in Canada in English?
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