John G Avildsen, ‘Rocky’ and ‘Karate Kid’ Director, Dies at 81

Avildsen won an Academy Award for directing the original 1976 “Rocky” starring Sylvester Stallone, and went on to direct all three of the original “Karate Kid” films.

Avildsen also won the DGA Award for directing “Rocky,” which earned Oscars for best picture and film editing, and was nominated in multiple other categories.

The highly-acclaimed filmmaker developed a reputation for making masterful movies about underdogs who become winners.

King of the Underdogs (2016), directed and produced by Derek Wayne Johnson, features interviews with Stallone, “Karate Kid” star Ralph Macchio, Martin Scorsese, Jerry Weintraub and Burt Reynolds.