The most famous underdog story in movie history is getting its own underdog movie. I Play Rocky, Amazon MGM’s drama about Sylvester Stallone’s battle to get the 1976 classic made while insisting on playing the lead, opens in select US theaters on November 6, 2026, before expanding wide on November 20.
Anthony Ippolito — who played Al Pacino in The Offer — stars as the young Stallone, while Matt Dillon plays Sly’s father, Frank Stallone Sr. Dillon shared first photos of his unrecognizable transformation on Instagram on November 2, drawing reactions from fellow 1980s icons C. Thomas Howell and Ralph Macchio.
The supporting cast is a who’s who of the Rocky origin story: Jay Duplass as director John G. Avildsen, P.J. Byrne as producer Irwin Winkler, Toby Kebbell as Robert Chartoff, AnnaSophia Robb as Sasha Czack, and Stephan James as Carl Weathers, the original Apollo Creed.
The plot centers on Stallone’s legendary refusal to budge: he turned down escalating offers for his screenplay — reportedly up to $360,000 — because he would only sell if he could star in it. The producers eventually gave him $1 million and just 30 days to shoot, and the rest is Oscar history.
Two-time Oscar winner Peter Farrelly directs from a script by Peter Gamble. Stallone himself has been characteristically blunt about the project, telling The Playlist he has “zero to do with it,” though he later told CBS he thought the film told his story well. I Play Rocky puts the fight behind the legend on the big screen at last.
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Bhudev Bhagaliya is an experienced and senior journalist who has carved a distinct niche for himself in the world of Hindi journalism through his profound understanding and precise writing style. With over two decades of experience in the field of journalism, he has held key responsibilities at Dainik Hindustan for 12 years and at Amar Ujala for one year. Currently, he serves as the Content Editor for the Jagrook Youth News newspaper and portal, where he plays a crucial role in ensuring the quality and credibility of the news content. Bhudev Bhagaliya consistently writes about issues that help raise awareness within society and among the younger generation.