Amazon MGM Studios has released the first still of Anthony Ippolito as Sylvester Stallone in “I Play Rocky,” the upcoming biopic about the making of “Rocky.”
Production on the film directed by Peter Farrelly is currently underway.
Ippolito’s role as Stallone won’t be the first time he’s taken on portraying an icon. One of his biggest credits is playing Al Pacino in the Paramount+ limited series, “The Offer,” which told the story of the making of “The Godfather.” His other work includes “Pixels,” “Purple Hearts” and “Grand Army.”
Along with Ippolito, the film also stars AnnaSophia Robb as Sasha Czack and Stephan James as Carl Weathers.
The story follows Stallone’s adamant belief that he not only serve as the writer on “Rocky” but also be the one to play the character despite being turned down numerous times. Eventually, Stallone was famously given a shot to star in the film, proving the underdog classic began before the cameras even started rolling.
“Rocky” remains one of the most successful sports movies ever made. The 1976 film spawned a slew of sequels and later a trio of “Creed” spinoffs starring Michael B. Jordan. Stallone earned a Best Actor Oscar nomination for “Rocky” in 1977 and a Best Supporting Actor nomination for the first “Creed” film in 2016. “Rocky” won the Best Picture Oscar in 1977.
Toby Emmerich and Christian Baha are producing “I Play Rocky,” with FilmNation Entertainment handling production services and international sales. Peter Gamble wrote the script.
