Sylvester Stallone once had a dream project: an Edgar Allan Poe biopic. And guess who he wanted as his leading man? Robert Downey Jr. But there was one tiny problem—Stallone wanted to wait until the Iron Man star was “hot again” before making it happen.
Stallone has always been more than just a muscle-bound action star. The Rocky legend has a passion for writing. Over the years, he’s penned several scripts. One of his most ambitious ideas was a film about Edgar Allan Poe. He wasn’t prying in making a dark and depressing movie, though. Instead, he wanted to capture the genius and spirit of Poe rather than dwell on the tragic realities of his life.
In an old interview with Roger Ebert, Sylvester Stallone spilled the beans about his plans. “The one thing I’m not gonna do is, I’m not gonna be Eugene O’Neill and write about my private demons. I want to write for the public. My next movie, it’s gonna be about three brothers who live in New Jersey. And then there’s one I’m writing about Edgar Allen Poe and his child bride, Virginia.”
He continued, “Only I’ll make it about the genius of Poe, and not about the reality,” Stallone added. “About his spirit. Who wants the caustic realities of real life when fantasy is so much better? And who wants an Edgar Allen Poe movie that tells the realities if the reality turns out to be two hours of Lost Weekend in drag?”
Fast-forward to the early 2000s, and Stallone had his eyes on Downey Jr. for the role. The two even had dinner together to discuss the project. But at the time, Downey’s career was in a bit of a slump—pre-Iron Man days! Stallone wasn’t sure the movie would get the budget it deserved unless Downey’s star power was back at full force.
Robert Downey Jr. later confirmed the meeting in a 2006 interview with Chud. “Sly said, “I do admit I had dinner with Sly; not ashamed of it; it was a blast. He wrote a great script. He said I should wait until I’m hot again. ‘We should wait until you’re hot again so we can do this at a big studio. I don’t want to do this cheap,’” he recalled.
Downey Jr., always quick with a joke, added, “Well maybe he meant we. He’s a great guy. Really smart. Flava Flav came over to the table. ‘Are you and Flava Flav playing Poe?’ Yes, we are. It’s just too tough a role; it needs two actors.”
Sylvester Stallone never gave up on his Poe biopic. Though it’s been in limbo for decades, he still holds onto hope. In a video posted to Instagram, he made it clear he’s determined to see it through. “It may have taken 45 or 50 years, but it’s done,” he said.
View this post on Instagram
Will we ever see Sylvester Stallone’s vision of Poe come to life? Only time will tell. But one thing’s certain—when Stallone sets his mind to something, he doesn’t quit. Maybe one day, we’ll finally get the Poe movie we never knew we needed.