Stallone’s Triumphant Tale to End Toronto’s Cinematic Celebration: Netflix’s ‘Sly’ Documentary to Close Prestigious Film Festival
Sylvester Stallone’s new documentary film Sly, which chronicles his iconic acting career, will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 16, 2023. The premiere will take place at Roy Thomson Hall and will be the closing night gala for the festival. As a Netflix documentary production not covered under SAG-AFTRA agreements, Stallone’s attendance at the red carpet premiere is uncertain due to the ongoing actors strike. The film promises to provide an intimate look at Stallone’s legendary performances in franchises like Rocky, Rambo, and The Expendables. Syl’s Toronto debut will mark a major event capping the 2023 festival.
Stallone’s retrospective in Toronto follows a career resurgence on TV where he stars in the Paramount+ dramedy Tulsa King, which has been renewed for a second season, and his Paramount+ family reality show, The Family Stallone, which just finished airing its eight episodes and has also been renewed for a second season.
Netflix also has a three-part documentary series about Stallone’s friend and former box office rival Arnold Schwarzenegger, titled Arnold.
Sly is directed by Thom Zimny (Springsteen on Broadway), who leads Stallone through a Hollywood journey that catapulted him to fame after his star turn in the inspirational underdog story Rocky. His other film credits include Demolition Man, Cliffhanger, Cop Land, Escape Plan and more recently Creed, which earned Stallone an Academy Award nomination in 2016.
TIFF last year had as its closing night film Daliland, directed by Mary Herron and starring Ben Kingsley as the surrealist painter Salvador Dali.
The Toronto Film Festival, which is set to run from Sept. 7 to 17, earlier announced that the Japanese anime legend Hayao Miyazaki’s anticipated final film, The Boy and the Heron, will open the 48th edition.
