Rocky has plenty of sequels — now the iconic Rocky statue is getting one, too.
Philadelphia is set to be home to a second statue of the famed movie prizefighter after the city’s art commission voted unanimously this week to install the artwork inside Philadelphia International Airport.
As it turns out, the Philadelphia Museum of Art Rocky statue isn’t the only contender out there.
The second statue, a 10-foot-tall bronze casting, is one of three originals created by the artist A. Thomas Schomberg. The Philadelphia Department of Aviation conceived of a plan to purchase the statue using airport funds in 2024 after learning it was up for sale, according to a memo viewed by The Inquirer.
“The Department realized that this was a unique opportunity to enhance the guest experience by purchasing an iconic statue that is solely associated with the City of Philadelphia by its residents and people from near and far who travel to Philly to partake in its celebrity and story of triumph,” the memo says.
With Schomberg’s guidance, aviation department officials decided the statue will be positioned past security in the airport’s Terminal A-West, where thousands of domestic and international travelers regularly pass by.
The location on the terminal’s second-floor concourse was chosen for its vaulted ceiling and dramatic backdrop of the airfield, according to the memo, as well as its “clean and modern” appearance and lack of advertising.
The city intends to purchase the artwork for a sum that was not disclosed within the memo. It will then become part of Philadelphia’s permanent public art collection.
In July, Creative Philadelphia, the city’s office for the creative sector, wrote a letter urging the Philadelphia Art Commission to consider its support of the proposal.
“Bringing the beloved Rocky statue to the airport is a fantastic way to celebrate our city’s rich culture in a space that welcomes travelers from across the country and around the world,” wrote Marguerite Anglin, Creative Philadelphia’s public art director.
“The statue’s placement at the airport will make this significant work accessible to those who are traveling through the airport, but may not have opportunity to visit our city to see the other cast of Rocky at the Philadelphia Art Museum,” Anglin said.
Creative Philadelphia intends to assist Philadelphia International Airport in drafting a conservation plan for the statue following its installation, according to Anglin.
Schomberg, the 82-year-old sculptor behind the original Rocky statues, created the artworks in 1980 ahead of Rocky III’s release. Schomberg collaborated with Sylvester Stallone, who depicted the boxer in the original 1976 film and its sequels.
The third Rocky statue is owned by Stallone, according to Schomberg’s website.