Sylvester Stallone Shocks Fans With Surprise Project Reveal—Is a New Rocky or Rambo Movie Coming?

Fans can breathe easy—Sylvester Stallone is very much alive. A false “RIP Sylvester Stallone” rumor ignited on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook over the weekend, quickly spiking searches for the 78-year-old actor. Within hours, fact-checkers and major outlets debunked the claim, noting that Stallone posted an Instagram video from his Florida home the same morning the hoax trended online. While the death rumor grabbed headlines, a piece of genuine Stallone news is drawing cinephiles back to theaters: his little-seen 1972 debut Rebel has been remastered and re-released as “Rebel: Director’s Cut.” The 4K restoration, overseen by original director Robert Schnitzer, opened in select arthouse cinemas on 6 June 2025 and will roll out to on-demand platforms later this month. Rebel—shot four years before Rocky made Stallone a household name—follows a disillusioned Vietnam veteran who becomes entangled with anti-war activists. For decades the film circulated only in grainy bootlegs; Schnitzer’s new cut restores missing scenes, adds a fresh color grade, and upgrades the mono track to enhanced stereo. Speaking to IndieWire, the director called the project “a love letter to young Stallone’s raw talent,” emphasizing that the Oscar-winner gave his blessing to every frame of the update. Early box-office numbers are promising. Alamo Drafthouse reported sold-out midnight screenings in Los Angeles and Austin, while New York’s IFC Center added extra showtimes to meet demand. Social media buzz shows fans pairing Rebel with the Netflix documentary Sly for a double feature that tracks Stallone’s evolution from struggling unknown to global action icon. The resurgence of Rebel arrives as Stallone courts a new generation. Season 2 of his Paramount+ series Tulsa King begins filming in July, and he recently revealed that he once paid $1 million of his own money for a perilous helicopter stunt in 1993’s Cliffhanger—proof that the star’s off-screen grit rivals his on-screen heroics. How to watch Rebel: Director’s Cut • In theaters: Limited release across U.S. arthouses now; international dates to follow. • Digital: Pre-orders live on Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video; streaming begins 24 June. • Physical media: A 4K Blu-ray with a commentary track by Stallone and Schnitzer ships in August. Bottom line: ignore the hoax, catch the comeback. Whether you’re revisiting Rocky, discovering Rebel for the first time, or waiting for Tulsa King’s return, Sylvester Stallone remains as unstoppable as ever—and this time, the Italian Stallion is knocking out fake news while reviving a forgotten gem of ’70s cinema.