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“I Play Rocky” made its world premiere Saturday evening at the Toronto International Film Festival as part of the Special Presentations program. Director Peter Farrelly’s latest project tells the story of Sylvester Stallone’s determined push to bring the iconic boxing film to the screen, with Anthony Ippolito taking on the lead role. The film centers on how a struggling, unknown actor managed to convince major studios to let him both write and star in what would become a cultural phenomenon.
The original 1976 “Rocky” became a landmark achievement in cinema history, earning ten Academy Award nominations and winning three, including Best Picture, while also becoming the year’s highest-grossing film. Farrelly’s new project recreates these defining moments while exploring the unlikely journey of how Stallone refused to compromise on his vision despite industry resistance. The screening drew multiple rounds of applause, and early response suggests the film could be in contention for major awards recognition.
Ippolito, a 27-year-old performer who previously portrayed young Al Pacino in the Paramount+ limited series “The Offer,” delivers a breakthrough performance as the determined actor. The casting itself proved serendipitous when the then-unknown performer created a self-tape in his grandmother’s basement, which immediately convinced Farrelly he had found his lead. The production’s journey mirrors its subject matter—an underdog story about betting everything on oneself, similar to how Stallone gambled on his original script decades earlier.
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Originally reported by Variety →
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