Movies - TV
Rocky II Shot An Alternate Ending For Adrian That Never Made The Screen
By JEREMY SMITH
The first “Rocky” film became a cultural phenomenon when it was released, not only winning the Academy Award for Best Picture but also remaining the top-grossing film of 1976. Sylvester Stallone returned to the world of his gutsy boxer for a follow-up film and a rematch with Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), though “Rocky II” had an alternate ending that never made it to the final cut.
In the second movie, Rocky’s wife, Adrian (Talia Shire), who disapproves of a rematch with Creed, falls into a coma after giving birth to their son. When she awakes from the coma, Adrian has a change of heart and encourages the boxer to fight, leading to the alternate ending where the crowd carries her to her victorious husband, who hands her the belt to thrust triumphantly in the air.
Background performer Charle Firus shared, “It seems like Adrian entered a few seconds after the first wave of us did. Hers was a separate shot I think, and Talia [Shire] was helped up and into the ring by a few stuntmen. It all happened very quickly.” Although Stallone wisely cut this ending from the film, “Rocky II” failed to recapture critics and the Academy Award’s attention like the first.