Sylvester Stallone pays tribute to Rocky director in clip from King of the Underdogs

Filmmaker John G. Avildsen may never have been a household name in the manner of directing peers like Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, or Francis Ford Coppola. But rare is the household which has not screened one or more of his movies, which included 1977’s original Rocky and the first three Karate Kid films.

A new documentary called John G. Avildsen: King of the Underdogs looks at the life and career of the director, who passed away in June of this year. Directed by Derek Wayne Johnson, the film’s interviews include Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Burt Reynolds, Jerry Weintraub, Martin Scorsese, Ralph Macchio, and Avildsen himself.

John G. Avildsen: King of the Underdogs is now available to watch on Chassy.com and all available VOD platforms.

See the film’s trailer and an exclusive clip from the movie featuring Stallone and Shire, above.