Rocky couldn’t be more poetic, with it being about a down-and-out boxer who is given a shot and makes a big splash after taking it, then the boxer becomes an icon. This is because it also happens to Sylvester Stallone, who was a down-and-out actor, who was given a shot and made a big splash after taking it, then he became an icon. This story is one of the most popular and endearing behind-the-scenes stories in cinema and it gets depicted in the Peter Farrelly film, I Play Rocky.
Amazon MGM Studios has just released the trailer for the film that stars Anthony Ippolito, Matt Dillon, AnnaSophia Robb, P.J. Byrne, Toby Kebbell, Tracy Letts, Jay Duplass, Stephan James, Kiki Seto, Robert Morgan, Saul Stein, Trevor St. John, Erik Palladino, and Rob Demery.
The official synopsis reads,
“The film is an electrifying true story about an unknown actor with an unshakable belief that he wasn’t just meant to write Rocky—he was meant to be Rocky Balboa. Told ‘no’ at every turn, Sylvester Stallone bets everything on himself, holding the line on playing the lead against seemingly impossible odds. The result is the ultimate underdog story behind the ultimate underdog movie.”
Peter Farrelly (Green Book) directs from a script by Peter Gamble (Trenches). Farrelly, Toby Emmerich and Christian Baha are producers on the film.
It is reported that Stallone has not given his blessing for the film, nor has he criticized its production. He is said to be waiting for the finished product before judging. His memoir, “The Steps“, is due out in September, and covers the same time period. The lead, Anthony Ippolito, also played Al Pacino in the Paramount+ series The Offer, about the making of another cinema classic from the 70s — The Godfather — and he reportedly made an unsolicited audition tape on his own accord and sent it directly to the producers of I Play Rocky. His can-do spirit showed shades of Stallone, who was equally hungry to break into the business and pushed to star in his scripted movie.
In a statement, producer Christian Baha said, “When I first read Peter Gamble’s energetic and poignant script, I knew it captured something very special. The story of I Play Rocky is as unique as Sylvester Stallone himself, a seeming Everyman with an undeniable gift who needs to share it with the world and refuses to take ‘no’ for an answer. And like the hero of our film, Baha Productions needed grit and determination as we fought for years to make this project into a reality. We are so fortunate to have teamed up with Toby Emmerich and Peter Farrelly, two legendary talents who not only share but enhance our vision of the film.“
What do you think of our first look at Ippolito as Sly? He certainly looks the part – how about the voice? Does it sound like a Sly impression or Sly himself? Let us know in the comments.