Almost 50 years after Rocky became one of the most successful and beloved sports films in cinema history, Hollywood is returning to the story that started it all with I Play Rocky – a new film about the extraordinary determination of a young Sylvester Stallone to write and star in the movie that would change his life.
Directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Peter Farrelly (Green Book), the film stars Anthony Ippolito as Stallone, charting his struggle as an unknown actor trying to convince Hollywood that he was the only person who could play Rocky Balboa. Despite being offered substantial sums for his screenplay, Stallone refused to sell unless he was allowed to play the leading role himself.
The impressive supporting cast includes Matt Dillon as Stallone’s father, AnnaSophia Robb as his first wife Sasha Czack, Stephan James as boxing champion Apollo Creed, Toby Kebbell, P.J. Byrne, Tracy Letts and Jay Duplass as legendary director John G. Avildsen. Kiki Seto also appears as Talia Shire, who played Adrian in the original films.
The project is written by Peter Gamble and produced by Farrelly alongside Toby Emmerich and Christian Baha. Interestingly, Ippolito reportedly secured the role after sending Farrelly an unsolicited audition tape. Stallone himself has seen the finished film and praised the young actor’s performance.
So what are critics saying? The early reviews following its Toronto Film Festival premiere have been largely enthusiastic. Rotten Tomatoes’ initial critics’ score stood at 87%. Ippolito’s performance has attracted particular praise, with some reviewers predicting a major breakthrough. However, not everyone is convinced. Some critics have described the screenplay as overly sentimental and argue that the film relies too heavily on recreating moments from the original rather than developing its own identity.
The original Rocky, released in 1976, was a phenomenon. Made on a modest budget, it told the story of struggling Philadelphia boxer Rocky Balboa, who gets an unlikely shot at heavyweight champion Apollo Creed. Stallone wrote the screenplay in just a few days, inspired partly by the real-life fight between Muhammad Ali and underdog Chuck Wepner.
The film won three Academy Awards, including Best Picture, beating heavyweight competition, and launched Stallone into international superstardom. It spawned five direct sequels, followed by the hugely successful Creed spin-off films starring Michael B. Jordan.
I Play Rocky opens in select cinemas on November 6, 2026, with a wider release later in November.
It is, fittingly, another underdog story – this time about the man who created one of cinema’s greatest underdogs.