Rocky II is a 1979 American film written, directed by, and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the sequel to the 1976 film Rocky, and was the last installment in the series-to-be that was distributed solely by United Artists.Stallone, Carl Weathers, Tony Burton, Burgess Meredith, Burt Young and Talia Shire reprised their original roles. The Ring Magazine heavyweight championship belt makes its first appearance in the series.