The trailer for ‘I Play Rocky’, the Sylvester Stallone movie is the coolest thing of 2026.
In the biopic about the making of the movie that turned an unknown actor into a legend, Anthony Ippolito plays the young Sylvester Stallone.
Rocky Balboa is returning – well, his movie origin story, to be exact. Amazon MGM Studios has released the first trailer for I Play Rocky, a biopic about the meteoric rise of Sylvester Stallone, providing a gritty, high-stakes look at one of the most anticipated films coming in late 2026. Directed by Peter Farrelly, the feature stars Anthony Ippolito (The Offer) as a young Stallone before fame, stubbornly hustling in a 1970s Hollywood that has no interest in him, or the spec script he refuses to leave behind.
The trailer depicts the arduous uphill battle Stallone faced as he shopped the project around. Stallone famously refused to sell the screenplay unless he was attached to star as the titular Philly southpaw, despite an unceasing wall of rejection and swelling financial desperation. “Do you believe in me or not?” The Stallone of Ippolito’s film is the raw determination and underdog spirit of a creator putting it all on the line for his own talent.
It’s impressive to watch Ippolito physically transform himself for the part. The actor is no stranger to playing New Hollywood royalty, having previously turned heads as Al Pacino in Paramount+’s The Godfather making-of miniseries, The Offer. This time, he carries the burden of anchoring a cinematic phenomenon.
The official synopsis for I Play Rocky reads: I Play Rocky is about Stallone’s unshakeable, borderline insane belief that he was meant to be Rocky Balboa. It was a gamble that would eventually remake Hollywood history. The original 1976 classic cost just under $1 million to make and became a box-office juggernaut, earning ten Academy Award nominations, including historic dual nominations for Stallone for Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay.
The film went on to win three Oscars, including the Best Picture award, famously beating out a legendary lineup of heavyweights including Taxi Driver, Network, All the President’s Men and Hal Ashby’s Bound for Glory. The film’s legacy paved the way for a multi-billion dollar franchise including the critically acclaimed Creed spin-off saga.
Completing the ensemble cast is Stephan James (Homecoming), who is stepping up to the role of the late Carl Weathers as Apollo Creed. Also on the deep call sheet are Matt Dillon, AnnaSophia Robb, Toby Kebbell, Tracy Letts, Jay Duplass, P.J. Byrne, Robert Morgan, Kiki Seto, Saul Stein, Trevor St. John, Erik Palladino and Rob Demery.
The script is by Peter Gamble. Farrelly returns to hard drama after recent comic forays with Ricky Stanicky and Balls Up. The biopic will be given a platform release in select U.S. theaters on November 6, 2026, by Amazon MGM Studios, positioning it as a prime contender for the upcoming awards season.
