I Play Rocky
2026 American biographical film
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I Play Rocky is a 2026 American biographical drama film directed by Peter Farrelly and written by Peter Gamble. It follows the development and production of the film Rocky (1976). Anthony Ippolito stars as Sylvester Stallone, alongside AnnaSophia Robb, Toby Kebbell, P. J. Byrne, Stephan James, Jay Duplass, Robert Morgan, Tracy Letts, and Matt Dillon.
- Toby Emmerich
- Christian Baha
- Peter Farrelly
- Paul Currie
- Michele Weiss
| I Play Rocky | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Peter Farrelly |
| Written by | Peter Gamble |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Sean Porter |
| Edited by | Sam Seig |
| Music by | Dave Palmer |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Amazon MGM Studios |
Release dates |
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Running time | 127 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
I Play Rocky premiered at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival. The film is set to have a limited theatrical release by Amazon MGM Studios in the United States on November 6, 2026, expanding nationwide two weeks later on November 20. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with particular praise for Ippolito’s performance.
Cast
- Anthony Ippolito as Sylvester Stallone, screenwriter of Rocky and the actor who plays Rocky Balboa
- AnnaSophia Robb as Sasha Czack, Sylvester's wife
- Matt Dillon as Frank Stallone Sr., Sylvester's father
- P. J. Byrne as Irwin Winkler, a producer of Rocky
- Toby Kebbell as Robert Chartoff, a producer of Rocky
- Stephan James as Carl Weathers, Sylvester's co-star playing Apollo Creed
- Tracy Letts as Sandy Maddox
- Jay Duplass as John G. Avildsen, the director of Rocky
- Kiki Seto as Talia Shire, Sylvester's co-star playing Adrian Pennino
- Robert Morgan as Burgess Meredith, Sylvester's co-star playing Mickey Goldmill
- Saul Stein as Sal
- Trevor St. John as Grant Bader
- Erik Palladino as Pete, Sylvester's boxing coach
- Rob Demery as Joe Frazier
- Scot Teller as Burt Young, Sylvester's co-star playing Paulie Pennino
- Dennis W. Hall as Vincent, Porno Director
Production
In May 2024, a biographical drama film depicting the making of the tumultuous production of the 1976 film Rocky was announced, with Peter Farrelly directing and Peter Gamble writing the script. CAA Media Finance handled U.S sales while FilmNation Entertainment handled international at the Cannes Market 2024.[1] In August 2025, Anthony Ippolito was cast as a young Sylvester Stallone with Amazon MGM Studios coming onboard for domestic distribution.[2] In October 2025, Stephan James was cast as Carl Weathers,[3] while AnnaSophia Robb and Matt Dillon were cast as Stallone's first wife Sasha Czack and his father Frank Stallone Sr..[4][5] P. J. Byrne, Toby Kebbell, Tracy Letts, Jay Duplass, Kiki Seto, Robert Morgan, Saul Stein, Trevor St. John, Erik Palladino, and Rob Demery would round out the cast later that month.[6][7][8]
Stallone confirmed that he had not been contacted by anyone regarding the film, and that he only learned about its existence after reading about it, although he was still open to participating in the film's production as a consultant.[9][10]
Filming
Principal photography began on October 15, 2025, in New York City, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles, with Sean Porter serving as the cinematographer.[9][11][12]
Release
Originally scheduled for a limited theatrical release on November 13, 2026, and expanding nationwide on November 20, I Play Rocky's limited release was later moved up by a week to November 6.[13][14][15][16]
The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 12, 2026.[17][18]
Reception
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 79% of 34 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.3/10.[19] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 63 out of 100, based on 16 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[20]
In a positive review, Owen Gleiberman of Variety wrote, "The pleasure of I Play Rocky is that it understands the karmic way in which the story of Rocky — the underdog who triumphs against all odds — was echoed in the saga of how Stallone got the movie off the ground."[21] Robert Daniels of ScreenDaily dismissed the film as a "walking piece of pastiche" and an "uninventive crowd pleaser", underscoring how it recreates "memorable scenes with little of the movie's original humanism".[22]