Rocky IV Director's Cut In Theaters for One Night Only With 40 More Minutes of Footage

By Cameron Bonomolo

Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) and Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) are back in the ring for one night only when Stallone's Rocky V. Drago: The Ultimate Director's Cut hits theaters on November 11. The never-before-seen director's cut, restoring 40 more minutes of footage to the 1985 blockbuster chapter of the Rocky saga, will show nationwide with screenings presented by MGM and Fathom Events. Along with the release of a behind-the-scenes making-of look at the director's cut, an introduction and a Q&A with Stallone — who wrote, directed, and starred in Rocky IV — will accompany the live event showings. 

In Rocky V. Drago: The Ultimate Director's Cut, MGM says, "The fight scenes are more intense, the music is more powerful and the drama is heightened as world heavyweight champion Rocky Balboa must defend his title once again, this time against his most formidable opponent: Ivan Drago." 

The director's cut will be available to rent digitally on-demand starting Friday, November 12. Stallone previously revealed the full-length making-of documentary Keep Punching: The Present Meets the Past goes behind the scenes of the 35th anniversary extended cut of Rocky IV. 

"If you can go back to recut your film, I guarantee you you would approach it with a sensitivity and a wisdom, and a confidence, 'Oh, why didn't I see that before?'" Stallone says in a snippet of footage from Keep Punching. "All of us are entitled to follow our dreams, to stick to our beliefs, because in the end that's all you have and if you keep believing in that eventually your dreams will come true."

Rocky IV also stars Talia Shire as Adrian, Burt Young as Paulie, Brigitte Nielsen as Ludmilla Vobet Drago, Tony Burton as Duke, and Carl Weathers as Apollo Creed. The original cut of the movie grossed more than $300 million worldwide in 1985, making it the third highest-grossing movie of the year behind Back to the Future and Stallone's own Rambo: First Blood Part II.  

The most triumphant sports-drama franchise in history returns with a new look in ROCKY VS. DRAGO: THE ULTIMATE DIRECTOR'S CUT. This live event is coming to movie theaters for one night only and includes an introduction and Q&A with Sylvester Stallone! Director, Writer and star SYLVESTER STALLONE masterfully reshapes ROCKY IV, delivering 40 minutes of never-before-seen footage. With more intense fight scenes, world heavyweight champion Rocky Balboa (Stallone) defends his title once again, this time against Drago (Dolph Lundgren), a six-foot-four, 261-pound fighter who has the backing of the Soviet Union.

Tickets are now available via Fathom Events.

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