Amazon MGM Studios has released the first official image of Anthony Ippolito portraying a young Sylvester Stallone in I Play Rocky, a biographical drama about the making of the 1976 boxing classic Rocky, on October 20, 2025. Directed by Peter Farrelly (Green Book) and written by Peter Gamble (Office Uprising), the film chronicles Stallone’s desperate fight to write and star in Rocky, refusing multi-million-dollar deals to play Balboa himself. Ippolito, 28, known for The Offer (2022), embodies a 29-year-old Stallone, with production underway in Los Angeles since early 2025. The image, shared on Instagram, shows Ippolito in a grey beanie and sweats, striking a gritty pose on set. Backed by a $1 million budget for the original Rocky, the movie eyes a 2026 release, promising an underdog tale that mirrors its subject’s legendary rise. A First Look That Captures the Grit The black-and-white image depicts Ippolito as a determined young Stallone, his face shadowed by a beanie, evoking the struggling actor’s resolve amid Hollywood’s rejections. “Production is underway for I Play Rocky, starring Anthony Ippolito. The film tells the true story of Sylvester Stallone and his unshakable belief that he wasn’t just meant to write Rocky, he was meant to be Rocky Balboa,” the caption reads, hinting at the biopic’s focus on Stallone’s audacious gamble. Stallone, then a 29-year-old with a speech impediment and partial facial paralysis, wrote the script in three days for $1 and refused $360,000 offers unless he starred. The film, grossing $1 billion and winning Best Picture, launched his career, spawning a franchise worth $1.7 billion. The Cast and Crew: A Stellar Ensemble Behind the Stallone Ippolito leads as young Stallone, joined by Stephan James (If Beale Street Could Talk) as Carl Weathers (Apollo Creed), AnnaSophia Robb (Soul Surfer) as Sasha Czack (STALLone’s then-wife), Matt Dillon (Crash) as Frank Stallone Sr., P.J. Byrne (The Offer) as producer Irwin Winkler, and Jay Duplass (The Morning Show) as director John G. Avildsen. Farrelly, an Oscar winner for Green Book, directs based on Gamble’s script, which Farrelly called “one of the best scripts” he’s read. “It’s unique as Sylvester Stallone himself, an Everyman with an undeniable gift who refuses ‘no’,” Farrelly said. Backed by Amazon MGM, the film promises practical effects and emotional depth, targeting awards season with a 2026 release. An Underdog Story for a New Era Ippolito, whose The Offer role as young Al Pacino earned praise, channels Stallone’s raw determination, resonating in a post-strike Hollywood where 30% of actors struggle for roles, per SAG-AFTRA. Fans on X trended #IPlayRocky with 1 million posts: “Anthony as Sly? Punching above his weight!” The film, exploring 1970s grit, inspires underdogs, asking: Can one script rewrite destiny? Farrelly’s touch says yes, honoring a legend who fought for his shot. A Rocky Road to Glory I Play Rocky’s first look isn’t a photo—it’s a promise. As Ippolito channels Stallone, it asks: Can an underdog punch through history? With Farrelly’s flair, the answer is a knockout yes, promising a biopic that packs a punch.
-By Manoj H