First Look: Anthony Ippolito Transforms Into Sylvester Stallone in I Play Rocky

Amazon MGM Studios has released the first image from Peter Farrelly’s upcoming feature I Play Rocky, offering a glimpse of Anthony Ippolito as a young Sylvester Stallone in the biographical drama about the making of one of cinema’s most iconic films.

 

I Play Rocky chronicles Stallone’s extraordinary journey from struggling actor to breakout star, capturing the determination and creative conviction that led him to write and star in Rocky — the 1976 underdog story that became a cultural phenomenon and won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Ippolito, best known for portraying Al Pacino in the Paramount+ limited series The Offer, takes on the role of Stallone during the pivotal period in which he fought to bring his vision to the screen. The film also stars Stephan James as Carl Weathers and Matt Dillon as Frank Stallone Sr.

The first-look image features Ippolito in classic Rocky Balboa training gear — gray cutoff sweats, black high-top sneakers, and a loyal canine companion at his side — evoking the spirit of the original film while signaling a fresh, character-driven perspective.

The film’s synopsis reads:

A struggling actor with a partially paralyzed face and a speech impediment writes a script that a major studio wants to buy, but he refuses to sell it unless he can play the lead. Turning down an offer of life-changing money, he works for pennies to get the movie made with himself in the starring role. The result becomes the biggest box-office hit of 1976 — earning 10 Oscar nominations and winning Best Picture.

The Rocky franchise, created by and starring Stallone, went on to become one of the most successful and enduring film series in history, grossing more than $1.7 billion worldwide and inspiring generations of audiences through its Creed spinoffs.

I Play Rocky marks a return to inspiring, character-driven storytelling for director Peter Farrelly, whose previous work includes Green Book and The Greatest Beer Run Ever.

Read the whole article on Deadline.