Yo Adrian, the Italian stallion is back in the ring.
Amazon MGM has released a teaser for I Play Rocky, a drama about the true story behind the eventful making of the classic 1976 boxing film Rocky. Anthony Ippolito, best known for “The Offer,” plays a young Sylvester Stallone, perfectly capturing his mumbled delivery, slouched posture, and limp sweetness. Really, it’s incredible.
This movie takes place long before Stallone was known as an on-screen action hero. In the 1970s, he was a struggling actor with part of his face paralyzed and a speech impediment. He wrote the screenplay for Rocky, but refused to sell the rights unless he could play the lead character. “Rocky” revolves around an underdog boxer who gets a once-in-a-lifetime chance to face the current world heavyweight champion, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers). The logline for “I Play Rocky” explains Stallone’s “steadfast belief that he did not just intend to write Rocky, but to become Rocky Balboa.” Given its November release date, “I Play Rocky” appears to be positioned as an awards contender.
Curious about the behind-the-scenes drama? The trailer, shared by Amazon MGM, shows Stallone struggling to break out as an actor and turning to screenwriting to create opportunities for himself. He comes up with a killer storyline, but ends up turning down a six-figure contract because he’s adamant about playing the title role. Instead, he gets a chance to make the film for less than $1 million, but studio heads root for him to have the schedule delayed so they can pull him out of the picture and replace him with an A-list actor.
The film’s director, Peter Farrelly, said while introducing the trailer, “This is a movie for everyone who was naive and crazy enough to make their dreams come true.”
The ultimate underdog story, “Rocky” became the year’s biggest box office hit and ultimately won the Best Picture Oscar, beating out “The President’s Men” and “Taxi Driver.” The original “Rocky” spawned several sequels and a “Creed” spinoff series led by Michael B. Jordan. Not everything went well for the kind-hearted slugger. There were also Broadway musicals that were forgotten.
Farrelly is best known for directing the Oscar-winning Green Book. Ippolito will co-star alongside Stephen James, who plays Weathers, as well as AnnaSophia Robb, Matt Dillon, PJ Byrne, Tracy Letts and Jay Duplass.
