Anthony Ippolito to Play Sylvester Stallone in I Play Rocky

According to CinemaDrame News Agency, Anthony Ippolito, who portrayed Al Pacino in Paramount’s miniseries The Offer, will take on another Italian-American screen icon. Oscar-winning director Peter Farrelly (Green Book) is set to helm the project.
As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Ippolito will star as Sylvester Stallone in I Play Rocky, a film that explores the making of the classic Rocky. Amazon MGM Studios has announced it will release the film in theaters.
Ippolito will portray the younger years of Stallone, showing how he went from an unknown actor with unshakable determination to global stardom. The story follows his relentless fight not only to write the screenplay for Rocky but also to insist on playing the role of Rocky Balboa himself. Despite repeated rejections, Stallone’s persistence ultimately led to the creation of one of the most iconic sports films in history.
Ippolito reportedly displayed the same dogged determination as Stallone: after learning about the project, he sent an unsolicited audition tape directly to the producers, which won him the part.
Former Warner Bros. Pictures chairman Toby Emmerich and Christian Baha are producing, with the screenplay written by Peter Gamble.
Rocky, originally released by United Artists and later MGM, has grossed over $1.7 billion worldwide and spawned the successful Creed spinoffs starring Michael B. Jordan. The first Rocky won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1976.
Ippolito, who previously portrayed Pacino in The Offer—a behind-the-scenes look at the making of The Godfather—has also appeared in Netflix’s Purple Hearts, Pixels, and David Chase’s Not Fade Away.