Movie Profile: I PLAY ROCKY (2026)
| Attribute | Details |
| Title | I Play Rocky |
| Release Date | November 6, 2026 (United States) |
| Director | Peter Farrelly (Green Book) |
| Writer | Peter Gamble Robinson |
| Producers | Toby Emmerich, Christian Baha, Peter Farrelly |
| Genre | Drama, Sports |
| Runtime | 127 minutes |
| Distributor | Amazon MGM Studios |
| Lead Cast |
• Anthony Ippolito (Sylvester Stallone) • Matt Dillon (Irwin Winkler) • AnnaSophia Robb (Sasha Czack) • Stephan James (Carl Weathers) • Tracy Letts (Robert Chartoff) • Toby Kebbell • Jay Duplass • P.J. Byrne |
Trailer
Plot Overview
I Play Rocky chronicles the high-stakes, real-life underdog story behind the making of the iconic 1976 sports drama Rocky.
The film centers on Sylvester Stallone (Anthony Ippolito), a struggling, unknown actor with facial paralysis and a speech impediment who writes a screenplay about an amateur boxer getting a shot at the heavyweight title. When major Hollywood studios express interest in buying his script for a lucrative sum, they insist on casting an established A-list star like Robert Redford or James Caan as Rocky Balboa.
Living in near poverty, Stallone refuses to sell the script unless he is cast as the lead character. Against impossible odds and constant pressure from studio executives, Stallone holds his ground, betting everything on himself to bring Rocky to the big screen.
Key Themes & Production Highlights
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The Ultimate Behind-the-Scenes Underdog Story: Mirrors the core theme of the original Rocky film by demonstrating how an unknown creator risked total financial ruin to protect his artistic vision.
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Breakout Performance: Features Anthony Ippolito (The Offer) portraying a young, hungry Sylvester Stallone prior to his global stardom.
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Peter Farrelly’s Direction: Marks another major biographical drama from director Peter Farrelly following his Academy Award-winning success with Green Book.