 Avildsen's greatest success was "Rocky" (1976), which he directed working in conjunction with writer and star Sylvester Stallone.The film was a major critical and commercial success, becoming the highest-grossing film of 1976 and garnering ten Academy Award nominations and winning three, including Best Picture and Best Director.He later returned to direct what was then expected to be the series' final installment, "Rocky V" (1990).