New I PLAY ROCKY Trailer Tells the Awesome Underdog Story of Sylvester Stallone Making ROCKY
Amazon MGM Studios has released a new trailer for I Play Rocky, and this movie delivers a real crowd-pleaser! The film tells the incredible true story of how a young Sylvester Stallone fought to get his classic 1976 boxing drama Rocky made, refusing to give up on his dream of playing the title character when Hollywood wanted someone else.
Anthony Ippolito takes on the role of Stallone, an unknown actor struggling to make it in Philadelphia who decides to write his own screenplay. He believes he has something special with Rocky, but convincing Hollywood to take a chance on him proves to be a fight of its own.
The new trailer follows Stallone's journey from writing the screenplay to getting the movie into production, showing the obstacles he faced along the way. His determination eventually paid off when Rocky became a massive hit, earning $117 million at the box office in 1976 and launching one of Hollywood's most beloved film franchises.
The movie also stars AnnaSophia Robb as Stallone's first wife, Sasha Czack, and Stephan James as Carl Weathers, who famously played Apollo Creed. The supporting cast includes Matt Dillon, P.J. Byrne, Toby Kebbell, Tracy Letts, Erik Palladino, Jay Duplass, Kiki Seto, and Robert Morgan.
I actually got to see I Play Rocky, and I loved it! It's a fantastic movie that captures what made Stallone's story so inspiring. Ippolito gives an awesome performance as the young Stallone, bringing both his ambition and stubborn determination to life.
Robb is equally great as Sasha Czack, and their performances give the movie a lot of heart. I had a great time watching this one, and I'm excited for audiences to experience it.
The film's 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 directs the film from a screenplay by Peter Gamble. Farrelly previously directed Green Book, The Greatest Beer Run Ever, Ricky Stanicky, and Balls Up. He's also known for co-directing comedy favorites such as Dumb and Dumber, Kingpin, and There's Something About Mary.
What's great about this story is that Stallone's real-life struggle to make Rocky is just as compelling as the fictional boxer's journey. He was a struggling actor who believed in himself enough to risk everything for one shot at success.
It's exactly the kind of story that makes for a great movie, and Farrelly and his cast have done a fantastic job bringing it to the screen.
I Play Rocky opens in select U.S. theaters on November 6, 2026, before expanding nationwide later in November.