American actor Anthony Ippolito will star as a young Sylvester Stallone in the upcoming biographical film I Play Rocky, which chronicles the behind the scenes creation of the 1976 classic boxing movie. The first trailer for the feature, directed by Peter Farrelly, was released on Thursday during the French television program Bonjour ! La Matinale TF1 ahead of its planned theatrical release on December 23.
The film focuses on a pivotal moment in Stallone's career during the mid 1970s, when the aspiring actor set out to establish himself as a screenwriter. Inspired by a high profile heavyweight bout between Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner, Stallone wrote the story of an underdog boxer from Philadelphia competing for the ultimate title. He insisted on playing the lead role himself, creating a production that ultimately won three Academy Awards in 1977, including Best Picture.
Production Background of the Rocky Franchise
I Play Rocky details the extensive struggles Stallone faced behind the scenes to get the project financed while maintaining control over the starring role. The original movie launched one of Hollywood's most enduring sports franchises, which has since expanded across six main installments and three spin off films in the Creed series.
To secure the role of the cinema icon, Ippolito took the initiative by sending an audition tape directly to the film's producers. The actor, who turns 27 shortly, shared physical similarities and a deep vocal tone with Stallone, despite the star having only two sons in real life. In Italian, Ippolito's surname translates to releasing the horses, while Stallone means stallion.
Ippolito previously demonstrated his ability to transform into historical film figures when he played a young Al Pacino in The Offer, a television miniseries documenting the turbulent production of Francis Ford Coppola's 1972 crime masterpiece The Godfather. He also played a younger version of Adam Sandler in the 2015 comedy Pixels and appeared in minor roles in Netflix productions including Grand Army and Purple Hearts.
Preparations and Direct Contact with Stallone
In the initial trailer, another character comments on Ippolito's delivery, telling him that he speaks as if he has rocks in his mouth. Ippolito told the movie platform Fandango that he put on weight to match Stallone's physical build while studying as many films and interviews featuring the 80 year old Hollywood star as possible.
Ippolito explained that he was able to speak briefly with Stallone on a video call while Stallone was working on the set of his television series Tulsa King. He said Stallone was extremely kind and generous in describing what the experience of making Rocky meant to him.
Ippolito added that Stallone had to overcome significant obstacles with very little backing at the time, showing immense strength of character to press forward when circumstances were stacked against him. He described the conversation as an incredible moment, noting how inspiring it was to speak directly with an actor whose work had influenced him throughout his life.
Festival Premiere and Industry Reaction
The film gained early industry support at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, an annual trade gathering for movie theater owners, where Canadian actor Ryan Gosling publicly endorsed the project. Farrelly, known for directing comedy classics such as There's Something About Mary and the Oscar winning drama Green Book, will present I Play Rocky at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.
The role has already provided a major boost to Ippolito's career. Industry news outlet Deadline reported that the actor has signed with Creative Artists Agency, the prominent Hollywood talent agency that represents high profile stars including Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep, and Gosling. Following the announcement, Ippolito's social media presence began to rise from under 67,000 followers on Instagram.
