Hollywood actor Sylvester Stallone says God led him to write one of the most iconic Hollywood films of all time - Rocky.
A new trailer for the film I Play Rocky, has revived one of Hollywood's best-loved stories and tells the real-life tale of an unknown actor who turned down big money rather than let anyone else play his character.
But talking to The Dove Foundation, Stallone says the real story behind Rocky started somewhere higher.
"I was never a writer," he said, "and all of a sudden one day I felt like I was being asked to write this... I felt as though God was moving me to do this." It's why, he says, the original film opens on a mural of Christ looking down over the boxing ring.
The Dove Foundation is an American nonprofit organisation that reviews and rates movies and TV shows for family-friendly and "faith-based" content.
Stallone was raised in a Catholic home. His mother took him to mass daily as a boy but he drifted from The Church as fame took over his life with the success of his acting career. He's spoken before about the birth of his daughter Sophia in 1996, born seriously ill, as the moment that pulled him back: "I started putting everything in God's hands."
In 2023, he and his family were received by Pope Francis at the Vatican.
He can now see the benefits of being part of a community: "Everyone in The Church is on the same page in the sense of spirit and unity and oneness," he said, "and you don't get that alone... some people maybe try to justify their laziness. You take out what you put in."
Using a metaphor that befits his character Robert Balboa or "Rocky" in the original 1976 film he adds: "Without The Church it's like having a boat without the rudder. The Church is the gym of the soul... they are the trainers... you don't think you can go, but with their help you can go."
Rocky was a staggering box-office sensation, grossing around £167 million worldwide against a shoestring budget of just £744,000.
The film spawned a franchise with five subsequent Rocky films plus three Creed spin-offs.