Rocky IV Director's Cut ticket pre-sales set a pandemic-era record for Fathom Events. Originally released in 1985, the film made $300 million worldwide and remains highest-grossing of the series to date. Directed by and starring Sylvester Stallone, the film co-starred Dolph Lundgren, Carl Weathers, Talia Shire, Burt Young, and Brigitte Nielsen, and has been a fan-favorite of the series since its debut.

Stallone has been teasing the director's cut of the film on Instagram for the past few months, sharing multiple extended scenes from the new cut. He's also shared a number of behind-the-scenes videos of him re-editing the movie and providing insight into some of his decisions, hinting at the direction he's going in with the new version. Among the more significant changes is cutting out Rocky IV's Sico the Robot, one of the film's sillier (but memorable) moments, and there will also be more dialogue from Lundgren's Ivan Drago, particularly during the press conference for his fight with Weathers's Apollo Creed.

Related: Rocky IV Shows The Best Reason To Do A Director's Cut (Not Fan Demand)

Fathom Events is shepherding the one-night release of Rocky IV in theaters, the day after which it becomes available on-demand, and Deadline reports that ticket pre-sales have set a pandemic record for the company. In comparison, the largest debut for a Fathom Events screening to date is the January 2019 release of BTS World Tour: Love Yourself in Seoul, which "made $3.5M domestic according to Comscore." Rocky IV AKA Rocky vs. Drago is said to feature 40 minutes of never-before-seen footage and will feature a livestream Q&A with Stallone in select theaters, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the new cut.

ocky IV - Director's Cut - Poster

Rocky IV saw the death of Apollo at the hands of Drago, prompting Rocky to challenge the Russian boxer to a bout in the Soviet Union. Rocky defeated Drago, of course, and went on to star in two more Rocky films before appearing in the spinoff franchise, Creed, which follows Michael B. Jordan as Apollo's son Adonis. Creed II was a psuedo-sequel to Rocky IV, as Creed in turn battled Ivan's son, Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu), putting Rocky and Ivan face-to-face once again, this time as trainers rather than fighters.

While this is tremendous news for Fathom Events, it's not all that surprising that Rocky IV would be the title to make this record. Arguably the most popular of the series, perhaps next to the original, Rocky IV was a rousing crowd-pleaser at the time of its release, and for fans that have grown up loving it, seeing the film once again on the big screen is something worth venturing out for. The impact of Rocky IV can't be understated - from Stallone's flashy directing style and the music-video aesthetic, to the 80s ballad-rock soundtrack and the Cold War themes, it stands out as a shot of cheesy, exhilarating entertainment. Curious fans will want to revisit that while soaking in whatever Stallone has baked into the Rocky IV director's cut. Tickets are still on sale for the one-night event, which takes place on November 11.

Next: Cobra Is The Next Stallone Movie That Needs A Director's Cut (After Rocky 4)

Source: Deadline