128 min • Narrative Feature • USA • 2026
ABOUT THE FILM
Behind the juggernaut success of one of the most beloved sports films in history—celebrating 50 years since its original release—is an equally inspiring underdog story driven by ambition and perseverance. I PLAY ROCKY chronicles the electrifying true events of a then-unknown actor named Sylvester Stallone who fought tooth and nail to prove his unshakable belief that he wasn’t just meant to write ROCKY—he was meant to be Rocky Balboa. Armed with a straight-from-the-heart script about a scrappy boxer from Philadelphia, a determined Stallone must convince studio executives that he’s the right man for the job. Directed by two-time Academy Award® winner Peter Farrelly (GREEN BOOK) and anchored by a prodigious breakout performance from Anthony Ippolito (HIFF 2026 FLYTE Breakthrough Performer) as a young Stallone, this legendary real-life story vividly immerses us into the sweaty and heroic process of making ROCKY. An Amazon MGM Studios release.
Anthony Ippolito will receive the Flyte Breakthrough Performer Award at the Opening Night screening at the East Hampton Middle School on October 3.Anthony Ippolito stars in the title role of ‘Sylvester Stallone’ in I PLAY ROCKY, directed by Academy Award® winner Peter Farrelly for Amazon MGM Studios, slated for a November 20 theatrical release, marking the 50th anniversary of ROCKY.He previously delivered a standout turn as ‘Al Pacino’ in Paramount+’s acclaimed limited series The Offer opposite Miles Teller.Ippolito first emerged with a breakout performance in Netflix’s GRAND ARMY alongside Odessa A’zion, and appeared in Columbia Pictures’ PIXELS, directed by Christopher Columbus, portraying a young Adam Sandler.
FILMMAKERS & CAST
Director: Peter Farrelly
Producer: Toby Emmerich, Christian Baha, Peter Farrelly, Michele Weiss, Paul Currie
Screenwriter: Peter Gamble
Language: English
Cast: Anthony Ippolito, Matt Dillon, AnnaSophia Robb, P.J. Byrne, Toby Kebbell, Tracy Letts, Jay Duplass, Stephan James, Kiki Seto
Run Time: 128 minutes
