Anthony Ippolito stars as a struggling Sylvester Stallone in Peter Farrelly’s biographical drama I Play Rocky, which examines the intense real-life battle to get the 1976 boxing classic made. The Amazon MGM Studios film arrives in theaters following its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Fifty years after cinema’s most famous underdog hit the screen, the extraordinary real-life battle to bring Rocky to the big screen is finally getting its own feature adaptation. Directed by two-time Oscar winner Peter Farrelly, I Play Rocky details the harrowing period when Sylvester Stallone was working as a fishmonger, living in flop houses, and taking bit parts while trying to convince studios to let him star in his own screenplay.
Before the project secured its greenlight, Stallone turned down increasingly lucrative offers for the script alone—with studio bids stretching up to a stunning $360,000—because executives insisted on casting an established, bankable star in the lead role. Armed with little more than a heavily pregnant wife and fierce determination, Stallone stood his ground, at one point resorting to selling his own dog to make ends meet before the high-stakes brinkmanship ultimately paid off.
Anthony Ippolito Wins the Lead Role After Submitting a Self-Tape
The search for the actor to play a young Stallone ended unexpectedly through digital submission. Although the production team initially planned to launch an extensive casting search following the Cannes Film Festival, Anthony Ippolito submitted a self-tape that immediately bypassed traditional Hollywood hurdles.
Producer Toby Emmerich recalled the moment Stallone saw the footage at a press conference for the film, noting that this is not an impersonation… this is a performance.
Farrelly and the producers confirmed that Ippolito was the very first person they looked at for the part.
To prepare for the demanding physical nature of the role, Ippolito underwent a total lifestyle transformation. Staying in a hotel room without a kitchen or a microwave during the shoot in Philadelphia and New Jersey, he maintained a strict diet packed with protein. The physical toll included learning to hit a speed bag and running through grueling winter weather while battling the elements.
Stephan James Studies Carl Weathers and Brings the Premiere to Toronto
The film’s supporting cast features Stephan James as Carl Weathers, tracing the actor’s transition from professional football to Hollywood. James noted that Weathers deliberately challenged audience expectations to avoid being permanently boxed into the Apollo Creed lore
that defined his early career.
I think what Carl was really, really great at was challenging this narrative or going against what people may have expected from him.
Stephan James, Actor via AfroTech Culture
James is also credited with determining where the biographical drama made its initial global impression. While the studio initially weighed debuting the project in Europe, James called Farrelly directly to ask if the picture could screen in his hometown. That conversation led directly to the film’s September 12 premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Recreating Iconic Philadelphia Locations and Incorporating 50-Year-Old Footage
Director Peter Farrelly insisted on returning to the exact Philadelphia and New Jersey neighborhoods where the 1976 boxing drama was originally filmed. When the crew set up cameras in front of Balboa’s on-screen apartment building, Farrelly noted that the locations looked almost identical after five decades, prompting him to suggest those sites be preserved as historic landmarks.
The production also achieved a unique blending of eras during its climatic steps sequence. Rather than relying entirely on modern recreations, Farrelly implemented actual footage shot 50 years ago by cameraman Garrett Brown using the newly developed Steadicam.
Nothing beats the steps,
Farrelly explained regarding the site of the city’s most famous cinematic pilgrimage. Recreating the sequence required the crew to temporarily hide modern equipment, clear crowds off to the side, and physically remove the Rocky statue.
Sylvester Stallone Gives His Personal Blessing to the Project
Before cameras began rolling, Farrelly and screenwriter Peter Gamble ensured the subject had full editorial oversight by sending the script directly to Stallone. Farrelly recalled telling the actor during their initial meeting, I won’t do it unless you want us to.
Stallone gave his immediate approval, instructing the director to maintain creative separation while the film was produced. That agreement caused minor confusion when the internet reacted to early reports of the project, but Stallone quickly reminded the director of their initial pact to separate themselves from the daily operations.
For Ippolito, meeting Stallone one month before principal photography provided a vital anchor for his performance. Hearing firsthand about the isolation and financial pressure of those early years allowed the actor to capture an authentic human performance rather than a simple caricature.
I Play Rocky opens in U.K. and U.S. cinemas on November 6, 2026, with a wider U.S. expansion scheduled for November 20, followed by an Australian release on January 1, 2027.
