In a 2010 GQ interview, Sylvester Stallone recalled how, in the early 2000s, he found himself trapped in a "generational vortex." After a string of duds, the actor was on the verge of becoming the very definition of washed up, with a new generation of moviegoers proving to be uninterested in the veteran star. Having conquered Hollywood in the '70s, Stallone went on to become one of the industry's biggest A-listers. But around the time his longtime rival Arnold Schwarzenegger tricked Stallone into starring in the 1992 flop that was "Stop! Or My Mom will Shoot," his career had started to wane. Once he headlined 1995's "Judge Dredd" (the most ridiculous sci-fi movie to predict our terrifying present), things weren't looking much better, and by the time the turn of the century arrived, Stallone was in need of a career revival.

Today, we're used to Hollywood revisiting old IP and churning...