From Oscar-winning filmmaker Peter Farrelly, I Play Rocky showcases the brilliant underdog story of not just the iconic movie but of Sylvester Stallone‘s amazing journey to getting it made. Starring Anthony Ippolito as Stallone, the film charts his struggles as a broke actor living in a rundown California apartment with his pregnant wife and their dog Butkus. Fed up with rejection after rejection, Stallone decides to take control of his own destiny and pen Rocky.
This powerful story is completely factual. Stallone has talked in great depth about his struggles prior to the biggest moment of his life, and now we will see it played out on the silver screen. But the million dollar question is: With a story this personal, how closely is the real Sly Stallone working with the filmmakers to get it right? The answer might shock you.
The Ultimate Hollywood Paradox: A Biopic of a Breakthrough
There is something utterly mind-bending about a movie about the making of a movie. Hollywood has given us peek-behind-the-curtain stories before, but I Play Rocky is taking the concept into a fascinatingly meta direction. Let’s think about the layers at play here. We have an emerging, lesser-known modern actor (Anthony Ippolito) playing an emerging, unknown 1970s actor (Sylvester Stallone) who is fighting tooth and nail to play an emerging, unknown fictional boxer (Rocky Balboa). It is an absolute Russian nesting doll of underdog stories.
In 1976, Stallone’s gamble paid off, catapulting him from a broke nobody to an Oscar-nominated superstar. Now, history seems to be repeating itself. Film insiders are already buzzing that this meta-biopic might follow the exact same trajectory, potentially launching Anthony Ippolito straight into the modern Oscar conversation. Audiences are clearly craving this inception-style storytelling as well. The official movie trailer, released by Amazon MGM Studios, exploded across the internet – amassing close to 20 million views in just its first two weeks. So, it is shaping up to be an absolute box-office heavyweight when it hits theaters this November. But there is one crucial thing missing.
A Hollywood Legend’s Story Without the Legend
With fan anticipation at an all-time high, you would assume the man who actually lived the story is pulling the strings backstage. Yet, here lies the biggest plot twist of all: Sylvester Stallone has absolutely nothing to do with the film. Despite the movie tracking the most intimate, definitive chapter of his life, the real-life Sly was entirely bypassed by the production. In fact, he never even read the script, nor did he consult on it.
The screenplay comes from USC teacher Peter Gamble, who got his work in the hands of producer Toby Emmerich. When Emmerich handed the script to Farrelly, the Dumb and Dumber director slapped it on his desk. When his daughter’s boyfriend read it and called it “the best movie of all time”, Farrelly cast his eyes over it and agreed, calling it “the best script I’ve ever read”. So, you’d think at this point Stallone would have gotten a call, but he didn’t.
While Stallone did eventually connect with Ippolito briefly over a zoom call, that’s the extent of it. In an interview with The Playlist, Stallone said he was “blindsided” by the film’s announcement and was shocked to read about it. He then went on to firmly state “I have zero to do with it.”
Stallone Dishes Out the Ultimate Counter-Punch
While Amazon MGM Studios is telling a version of his incredibly past on the big screen, Stallone is setting the record straight in his own words. Across his career, he has been incredibly candid about his life, describing the hardships he faced, including family struggles, sleeping rough, being shot at, and being so broke he had to sell his dog. But don’t worry, that dog was Butkus from Rocky, and his payday helped him buy him back and cast him in the movie.
Stallone’s first book was a fitness and lifestyle guide called Sly Moves. Released in 2005, the book was heavily focused on his diet and training styles, but he did throw in some autobiographical nuggets. However, now he’s ready to tell the full story. On September 29, 2026, Stallone will release The Steps: A Memoir. Described as a gritty, inspiring, and heart-wrenching memoir, the book will delve into his childhood before shifting focus to his arrival in New York City in 1969 and the iconic triumph of Rocky at the 1977 Academy Awards.
Read Next: 6 Big Movie Roles Sylvester Stallone Turned Down or Lost Out On
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