In 1975, after watching Muhammad Ali fight Chuck Wepner, a broke, struggling actor named Sylvester Stallone wrote a screenplay about an underdog boxer. Refusing to sell his script unless he could play the lead, Stallone’s gamble paid off, transforming both his career and American cinema forever.
I Play Rocky traces that improbable journey, capturing the chaos, setbacks, and unlikely collaborations behind an independent production that became a cultural landmark. Directed by Oscar-winner Peter Farrelly (Green Book), this is as much a film about creative risk as it is about boxing, celebrating the persistence required to protect an uncompromising vision. Buoyed by Anthony Ippolito’s charismatic turn as a young Stallone, I Play Rocky is an affectionate, crowd-pleasing reminder that some of Hollywood’s biggest success stories begin as long shots.
Peter Farrelly
Anthony Ippolito, Stephan James, AnnaSophia Robb, Matt Dillon, P.J. Byrne, Tracy Letts, Jay Duplass
USA
2026
English
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Credits
Executive Producer
Andrew Muscato, J.B. Rogers, Joe Guest, Glen Basner, Laine Kline, Melissa Morkus, Roland Kickinger, Patrick Josten, Evan Bates, Gianni Benvenuto, Mario Biancacci, Mark Williams, Michael A. Toth, Kyle Fox, Walter Josten, Salva Vladimirov, Jared Underwood, Andrew Robinson
Producer
Toby Emmerich, Christian Baha, Peter Farrelly, Paul Currie, Michele Weiss
Screenwriter
Peter Gamble
Cinematography
Sean Porter
Editor
Sam Seig
Production Design
Anthony Gasparro
Original Music
Dave Palmer
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