By London Film Festival audiences got an unexpected treat on Friday night when the festival’s surprise film turned out to be “I Play Rocky” — Peter Farrelly’s biographical drama about how a then-unknown Sylvester Stallone fought Hollywood to become Rocky Balboa.
The two-time Oscar winner (“Green Book”) was on hand to introduce the screening himself, and he used the moment to gush about his star, newcomer Anthony Ippolito, who plays the young Stallone. The 27-year-old reportedly sent in a self-tape before the production had even begun its planned “worldwide search” for someone to play the icon — and he won the part outright.
The Ultimate Underdog Story Behind The Ultimate Underdog Movie
The film, written by Peter Gamble and produced by Toby Emmerich, chronicles Stallone’s dogged battle to not just write “Rocky” but to star in it — holding the line against studio pressure at seemingly impossible odds. Farrelly has called the screenplay the best script ever sent to him, and the project is being distributed by Amazon MGM Studios.
Early festival buzz has centered on Ippolito’s uncanny transformation. Stallone himself reportedly saw footage and mistook the actor for old footage of his younger self, calling the resemblance “unbelievable.” The supporting cast includes AnnaSophia Robb as Stallone’s first wife Sasha Czack, Matt Dillon as his father, plus Toby Kebbell, Tracy Letts, Jay Duplass, and Kiki Seto.
Building Toward A November Release
“I Play Rocky” has been on a strong festival run, opening the 34th Hamptons International Film Festival earlier this month, where Ippolito picked up the Flyte Breakthrough Performer Award. The film arrives in select theaters on November 6, 2026, before going everywhere on November 20.
With the surprise London screening now behind it, the film enters the awards-season conversation with serious momentum — and a leading man whose name the industry is about to learn fast.
Anthony Ippolito in “I Play Rocky” (Credits: Amazon MGM Studios)
Source: Variety — read the full story there.
