I Play Rocky
Anthony Ippolito and the Rousing Triumph of
I Play Rocky
Official Metrics
Theatrical Tracking Slate: Early November 2026 Release Profile
Official Film Length: 2 Hours 8 Minutes [128 Minutes]
Genre Confluence: Drama / Biography / Meta-Hollywood History
Rotten Tomatoes: 86% Tomatometer
Letterboxd: 3.7 out of 5 Stars
Original Language Track: English Narrative Script
Official Synopsis
Production Information
Director Peter Farrelly
Screenwriter Peter Gamble
Producers (p.g.a.) Toby Emmerich, Christian Baha, Peter Farrelly, Paul Currie, Michele Weiss
Cinematographer Sean Porter
Film Editor Sam Seig
Original Score Architect Dave Palmer
Master Distributor Amazon MGM Studios
Production Alliances Fireside Films, Baha Productions
Cast
Ray's Thoughts
Few movies have made the seismic cultural impact of the landmark film Rocky. So when the announcement was made that there would be a film made that would attempt to capture the behind the scenes drama of the making of the film it seemed like a project that would be best suited for a streaming platform, maybe as a series like the recent Paramount project The Offer which controversially captured the making of The Godfather from the perspective of one of the producers. Although the project was entertaining, the project wasn’t considered a legitimate prestige project. So when the buzz for the film I Play Rocky started to trickle out it almost felt unreal. How could the making of the most inspirational film ever made be equally mesmerizing and inspiring? But that’s what director Peter Farrelly and the artists created with the shockingly moving story of Sylvester Stallone creating his landmark film.
I Play Rocky starts with an audition by the struggling Sylvester Stallone. Auditioning for bit parts and calling himself Mike Stallone, he is unable to find some traction in his career. Resorting to doing bit parts and small b-movies, he hits rock bottom by doing a soft core adult film to try and make ends meet. In between his low-paying acting jobs he works a series of odd part-time jobs. Working at a local movie theater he meets Sasha, who inspires him to start writing films in an effort to affect his professional trajectory. After several years and several screenplays under his belt, Stallone is inspired to write a boxing film after watching Chuck Wepner fight Muhammad Ali in a local bar. What follows is an iconic story of how Sylvester Stallone against all odds, with the help of Irwin Winkler, Robert Chartoff, and John Avildsen, created the mainstream masterpiece Rocky.
The film features a groundbreaking performance by Anthony Ippolito, who amazingly channels the spirit as well as the mannerisms and likeness of Stallone. No easy feat considering that Stallone is arguably one of the most popular parodied impersonations of all time. But Ippolito manages to transcend the typical caricature highlights and really embody the performer. Helping Ippolito is the always strong AnnaSophia Robb, who continues her run of incredibly well done characters. Robb is quickly becoming one of those actors that signals a high-quality project with just her participation. Robb brings a captivating charm and grounded sincerity that is characteristic of her work but is especially effective here as she really provides the heart of the film as the emotional center of the film. P.J. Byrne and Toby Kebbell are also excellent as the at first cynical producers who are just trying to get another project off the ground, who become inspired by the underdog nature and resolve of Stallone. Jay Duplass is also impressive as the working-class director John Avildsen. He portrays a working-class aesthetic as a director who is trying to do his best with the limited budget he’s been given. He also provides a healthy dose of reality for all the different dreamers in the film. As the antagonist, Tracy Letts portrays studio head Sandy Maddox with a surprisingly affable menace. Maddox is an old-school studio head who is frustrated by the new Hollywood that challenges the traditional studio system. But he’s also a businessman first and he’s more interested in icing the sting from losing out on making The Godfather than necessarily making a great movie. Rounding out the cast is an effective Matt Dillon as Stallone’s father Frank, who tries to instill his working-class values into his son while discouraging him from fruitlessly chasing a wild dream.
What I Play Rocky does a stunning job of doing is finding the true heart of the story and how in some ways the making of the film mirrored the inspirational on-screen story. Like Rocky, Stallone is constantly fighting against obstacles and pushbacks in achieving his dream. What’s stunning about the film is that despite the audience already knowing how the story plays out, Farrelly is able to wring a shocking amount of emotion and tension into the film. This is in large part by Ippolito’s performance, who captures the stakes of Stallone at every turn. One of the most eye-opening moments is when we see Stallone’s struggle with turning down immense amounts of money to retain the right to play the lead. It’s unbelievable how Stallone had the fortitude to stick to his resolve considering he barely had two nickels to rub together. Ippolito convincingly portrays this moment as a life-or-death situation. Is he willing to sacrifice his dreams for financial gain? Of course we all know the answer now, but the film does a great job of really showing the stakes. What I Play Rocky also does well are the recreations of the iconic scenes. There were several moments in the film that I sincerely thought they were using archival footage, but in reality it was just incredible recreations. Everything from settings and mannerisms to Ippolito’s uncanny performance. It’s remarkable how they were able to do some of these scenes.
In terms of what doesn’t work in the film, there’s really a struggle to find a weakness. I guess if I were to nitpick, it would basically just be with the biopic format. Although the film features eerie recreations, there is a part of me that really wonders what happened and what didn’t happen, and how some moments may have been artistically heightened for dramatic purposes. This isn't something unique to I Play Rocky; it’s something that I usually find frustrating about all biopics and why I prefer strong documentaries over dramatic biopics. But that again is nitpicking. I Play Rocky is a stunning achievement. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this film as much as I did, but it’s really a profound crowd-pleaser. In a landscape of redundant and dark material, it’s refreshing to take in a real mainstream, satisfying underdog story. Like Rocky, this is a special film that invites a screening of the classic film. It’s impressive that a companion piece can be just as inspirational as the iconic source material. It’s a real credit to Farrelly and the makers of the film to assemble a cast of really likable and strong performances while telling a great story. I Play Rocky is an unexpected triumph of meta-storytelling and a legitimate prestige film that deserves accolades of its own for an impressive story of fighting against all odds and, unlike the original movie, actually winning by knockout.
Final Verdict
🎬 Expanded Fun Facts & Trivia
- Critical Milestones The motion picture debuted to strong industry metrics across its autumn showcase run, securing an impressive 86% Tomatometer score based on 56 professional reviews.
- The Festival Runway The biographical feature generated significant award seasonal traction after earning official screening selections at both the Toronto International Film Festival and AFI FEST.
- Canine Continuity Stallone’s beloved bullmastiff was portrayed on set by a verified champion show dog officially credited under the lineage registration GCH Amulet’s They Call Me Big Riggs.
- Consultant Alignment While initially remaining detached from the biographical project, Sylvester Stallone subsequently joined forces with the filmmaking team as a consultant to verify the historical accuracy of his early years.
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