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

      “Do you have faith in me, or not?” poses an unidentified actor in the trailer for I Play Rocky. This actor is Sylvester Stallone, using the stage name Mike, and he is portrayed by emerging talent Anthony Ippolito, who bears a striking resemblance to Stallone in both appearance and voice.

      I Play Rocky is not a humorous, cheesy biopic like the recent (and excellent) “Weird” Al Yankovic film, Weird. Instead, it offers a heartfelt representation of the creation of the 1976 film Rocky, backed by significant credentials. This film represents director Peter Farrelly’s follow-up to the Best Picture-winning Green Book and is written by Peter Gamble.

      While Farrelly is known for his comedic work—and the trailer features humorous elements—I Play Rocky tells the authentic story of how Stallone wrote his own script for Rocky, insisted on playing the lead role, and ultimately shaped his destiny. He became a prominent blockbuster star of the ’70s and ’80s and continues to thrive today.

      Rocky was immensely successful, earning 10 Academy Awards nominations and winning three, including Best Picture. It triumphed over classics such as All the President’s Men and led to five sequels and three Creed films.

      Is Sylvester Stallone Involved in I Play Rocky?

      There seems to be some uncertainty regarding Stallone’s involvement in I Play Rocky. In an interview with The Playlist’s Bingeworthy podcast last year, he claimed he was surprised by the project.

      “I was shocked to hear about it… I have nothing to do with it,” he stated.

      However, Farrelly later told The Playlist that Stallone had given his approval.

      “The first thing we did was reach out [to Stallone],” Farrelly explained. “First of all, that was another script written by a guy named Peter Gamble. It came to me, and I thought, ‘what an incredible script!’ So they asked, ‘Do you want to make it?’ I replied, ‘Only if Sly is okay with it.’ They sent it to Stallone, he read it, and then I met him at the Beverly Hills Hotel in LA. I asked, ‘What do you think? I’m not going to proceed without your approval.’

      “He responded, ‘Great. Go for it.’ So we went ahead. But somewhere along the line, he must have forgotten. The only misunderstanding I can think of is that he was busy working on his memoirs. I believe he was involved in that while we were making the film. Once we finished, I heard about it. By the way, he’s going to be very happy because it’s a great story and he comes across wonderfully.”

      MovieMaker has contacted Stallone’s representative for clarification and will update this post upon receiving a response.

      Even President Trump has shared the story of Rocky’s origin. Stallone is one of Trump’s “ambassadors to Hollywood,” and during an extensive speech last August, the president mentioned that Stallone was offered $1 million to let another actor portray Rocky, but he repeatedly declined.

      “He said, ‘it won’t work if you choose a movie actor with a poor physique—someone who has a nice face, but a bad body,’” Trump explained. “He understood what a boxer’s physique should look like. They brought in one [actor], and I won’t mention who it was, but he was a big name. However, his chest was not what you want; one hit and his heart would pop out. That wouldn’t work.

      “Then they came to another actor who was overweight and unkempt—though he had a good face. Then another, and another, and he kept turning them down. He wouldn’t accept the $1 million. He just wouldn’t do it. Eventually, they saw him and said, ‘you know, you’d actually be perfect for this role.’”

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

      I Play Rocky is set to hit theaters on November 6, courtesy of 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.