I’m super excited to share my thoughts on the news that Amazon MGM Studios has released the first-look image of Anthony Ippolito as a young Sylvester Stallone in the upcoming biographical drama I Play Rocky. It’s a moment that just feels electric for what it promises.
The photo reveals Ippolito stepping into the shoes of Stallone during the period before the quintessential icon we know so well, capturing the actor’s journey from underdog to film legend. The film is slated to dive into the making of the 1976 smash hit Rocky, exploring both the grit behind the script and the guts behind the decision that “yes, I will star in it myself.”
There’s something electric about telling the story of the stories we thought we already knew. Stallone’s tale has been told a number of times, yet this angle, the making of Rocky story, hasn’t been this front-and-centre. The image of Ippolito as Stallone signals that the film is committing to authenticity, to transformation, and to capturing the raw energy of a breakthrough moment. Also, when the studio drops a teaser image this early, it shows confidence. It says: “We believe this is going to matter.” Amazon MGM’s support here tells me this is more than a niche project, it may well aim to be a major piece of cinema history-telling.
From what I see in the photo, Ippolito’s posture, the expression, the era detailing, they all lean into a young Stallone energy, the hungry young actor, with a dream energy. The styling, lighting, and look feel deliberate in reminding us that this is before the fully-fledged Stallone icon. There’s something still in motion, still being forged. It evoked for me not just Stallone’s character of Rocky Balboa, but the man behind that character. The man who insisted on writing it, doing it his way and betting on himself.
Now I’m keenly watching for, how the film will balance the spectacle of Stallone’s rise with the interior story. His doubts, his fights (literal and figurative) and the industry pushback.
How much Stallone himself is involved (or not). The biopic angle always brings up questions of collaboration vs. independent interpretation. I am eager to see if the tone of the film, will lean toward inspirational, sentimental, gritty, truthful? Or maybe a combination?
And of course, the rest of the cast. Ippolito is front and centre, but who will play the producers, the colleagues, the friends and foes? (Spoiler: I’ve already heard some names).
“I Play Rocky” isn’t just another “actor-plays-icon” movie. It feels like a love letter to a fiercely independent, self-made dream. The first-look image gives me hope that this will do more than mimic Stallone’s look. That it will capture the why of his breakout, the tenacity behind the victory. If I were betting, I’d say this film might revive our appetite for the story behind the success story, reminding us that sometimes the underdog isn’t just the character you watch … it’s the storyteller, the fighter, the one who refused to let the dream go.
Keep your eyes peeled. I’ll be watching this one closely, and I might just be back with a full breakdown when we see the trailer.
