Sylvester Stallone may have landed his first starring role in 1970 softcore porn film Italian Stallion, but he's spent the nearly 50 years since proving time and time again he's a serious film buff whose work in nearly every aspect of the industry has continued to garner respect and acclaim. The movie-industry multi-hyphenate has now released information regarding a very early project he never finished: a biographical film regarding the life of storied horror writer Edgar Allen Poe.

"It's a long road to reach your goals but it's definitely worth the journey..." Stallone wrote in the caption to an Instagram video in which he flips through pages of his old script. He intended to star in the project before realizing he wasn't exactly right for the part of the gaunt poet and novelist. "It may have taken 45 or 50 years, but it's done," he explains in the clip, "Anyway, that's what I'm working on, and it's been one of the great challenges of my life, but like Poe used to say, 'I promise to take this life by the throat and I shall not let go until I succeed.'"

Sly previously shared a never-before-seen photo of himself in costume as Poe back in September 2017 (as reported by Bloody Disgusting), telling followers, "The only surviving picture that has never been seen anywhere before ... The first serious screenplay I ever wrote was about the great writer Edgar Allan Poe, at one time I had aspirations to play him and this was part of the costume design ... But I realized I wasn't really right for the part , So this is all that remains. Maybe someday I'll direct , who know?"