'I Play Rocky' Trailer: The Backstory of Stallone's Underdog Classic

      “Do you believe in me, or not?” poses an unfamiliar actor in the I Play Rocky trailer. The actor is Sylvester Stallone, who uses the stage name Mike, portrayed by rising talent Anthony Ippolito, who strikingly resembles and sounds like the real Sylvester Stallone.

      I Play Rocky is not a humorous, campy biopic like the recent (and excellent) "Weird" Al Yankovic comedy. Instead, it offers a heartfelt examination of the creation of the 1976 film Rocky, backed by solid credentials. This project marks director Peter Farrelly’s follow-up to the Academy Award-winning Green Book and is penned by Peter Gamble.

      Though Farrelly clearly has a background in comedy—evident in the trailer's amusing moments— I Play Rocky tells the fundamentally true tale of how Stallone authored his own script for Rocky, insisted on playing the lead role, and effectively carved his own path to success. He became one of the iconic, blockbuster stars of the '70s and '80s and continues to thrive today.

      Rocky achieved massive success, receiving 10 Academy Award nominations and winning three, including Best Picture. It outperformed classics like All the President’s Men and led to five sequels and three Creed films.

      Is Sylvester Stallone Associated with I Play Rocky?

      The extent of Stallone's involvement in I Play Rocky seems to be contested. During an interview with The Playlist’s Bingeworthy podcast last year, he expressed being taken aback by the project.

      “I was shocked to read [about] it… I have zero to do with it,” he stated.

      However, Farrelly later conveyed to The Playlist that Stallone had given approval.

      “The first thing we did was reach out [to Stallone],” Farrelly shared. “First of all, that script was originally written by a guy named Peter Gamble. It came to me, and I thought, ‘incredible script!’ They asked if I wanted to make it, and I said, ‘If Sly's okay with it.’ So they sent it to Stallone. He read it, and then I met with him at the Beverly Hills Hotel in LA. I asked, ‘Hey, what do you think? I won’t make it if you don’t give me the thumbs up.’

      “He replied, ‘Great. Do it.’ So we went ahead. But along the way, he must have forgotten. The only confusion I can think of is that he was working on his memoirs during our film’s production. After we finished, I heard that. Plus, he’s going to be very, very pleased, as it’s a great story, and he comes off incredibly.”

      MovieMaker has contacted Stallone’s representative for clarification and will update this post if they respond.

      Even President Trump has recounted the origins of Rocky. Stallone is considered one of Trump’s “ambassadors to Hollywood,” and during a detailed speech last August, the president mentioned that Stallone was offered $1 million to allow another actor to play Rocky, which he repeatedly declined.

      “He said, ‘it can’t be successful if you’re going to choose a movie actor with a bad build — a nice face but a poor physique,’” Trump recounted. “He understood what a boxer’s body should be. They brought him one actor, and though I won’t disclose who it was, he was a big name. But his chest wasn’t suitable; one hit and he’d have a heart attack. That wasn’t ideal.

      “Then they presented another actor who was out of shape but had a nice face. Then he passed on another, and another, and another, refusing the $1 million offer. Ultimately, when they saw him, they thought, ‘you know, you would actually be quite good for this role.’”

      The cast of I Play Rocky also features AnnaSophia Robb, Matt Dillon, and Toby Kebbell. Jay Duplass portrays Rocky's director Jon Avildsen.

      I Play Rocky is set to hit theaters on November 6, released by Amazon MGM Studios.

      Main image: Anthony Ippolito as Sylvester Stallone in I Play Rocky. Amazon MGM Studios.

      Editor's note: This article has been updated with comments from Farrelly, Stallone, and Trump.