Amazon MGM studios has decided on Anthony Ippolito to play Sylvester Stallone in the upcoming film “I Play Rocky,” which tells the story behind the creation of the original “Rocky” movie from 1976. “I Play Rocky” looks at the behind-the-scenes story of “Rocky,” which includes the struggle that Sylvester Stallone faced when trying to cast himself in the role of Rocky after he wrote the screenplay, feeling like he was the right option.
Sylvester Stallone is a well-known name in entertainment, particularly film, now, but in the 1970s, he was an unknown actor and screenwriter trying to get his chance to not only have his screenplay made into a film, but to star in the leading role of that film.
“I Play Rocky” is scheduled to show the story of Sylvester Stallone betting on himself in theaters starting on November 6.
Who is Anthony Ippolito, the Star of ‘I Play Rocky’?
Anthony Ippolito is best known for playing Al Pacino in “The Offer,” which was released in 2022 and is available on Paramount+. Other roles that Ippolito has played include Johnno in “Purple Hearts,” Seth in “Fool’s Day,” and 13-year-old Brenner in “Pixels.”
Now, Ippolito has the chance to play the underdog in “I Play Rocky,” which fits his background of appearing in dramas. This new role as Stallone could help launch his career further, similar to the way “Rocky” launched Stallone’s career.
Despite being about Sylvester Stallone, the actor claims that he isn’t involved with the movie, “I Play Rocky.” He even told The Playlist that he was surprised to read about the film. However, the director of the biopic, Peter Farrelly, contradicted this claim by telling The Playlist that he met with Stallone about the film and received permission to create it.
The Story Behind Sylvester Stallone as Rocky
Getty“Rocky” is an underdog story about a small-time boxer who gets the chance to fight against a heavyweight champion, and the creation of the film is Stallone’s own underdog story when you take a look behind the scenes. Stallone refused to sell the screenplay unless he was able to star as Rocky Balboa, which made it difficult to find producers who were willing to accept that deal.
In this way, the story of Stallone mirrors the story of Rocky, although in two different fields of work. While Rocky bet everything on himself for his chance to fight a heavyweight champion, Stallone bet everything on himself for his chance to play the leading role in his own film because that was the choice that felt right to him.
Despite the obstacles both the character of Rocky and the real Stallone had to face, they managed to find success in the end.
“Rocky” won the Oscar for Best Picture in 1977, as well as the Oscars for Best Director (John G. Avildsen), and Best Film Editing (Richard Halsey and Scott Conrad) in the same year. The film and cast also received nominations in categories like Best Screenplay, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Actress in a Leading Role, and Best Sound.
Now, film fans will be able to see the story behind this classic movie in a new light, exploring the making of “Rocky” and the difficulties that brought with it as Anthony Ippolito steps into the iconic role of Sylvester Stallone in “I Play Rocky.”
