First Look at ‘I Play Rocky’: What the New Trailer Reveals

The story of Sylvester Stallone’s quest to get Rocky from script to screen is a perilous one, full of pitfalls that beggar belief. On November 20, 2026, nearly 50 years to the date of the original Rocky film’s release (November 21, 1976), Amazon MGM will bring Stallone’s story to the screen (in wide release) with I Play Rocky.

Starring the relatively unknown Anthony Ippolito (who, according to IMDb, hasn’t had a role since 2022) as Stallone and written & directed by Peter Farrelly (Green Book), I Play Rocky dropped its first trailer today. Clearly leaning on the inspirational side (how could it not?), the preview showcases Ippolito (who looks like a cross between Stallone and Jeremy Allen White–both good things) nailing Stallone’s voice and, as much as one can tell from a snippet, more than effectively inhabiting Sly’s countenance, mannerisms, and physicality.

The trailer also reveals plum roles for Matt Dillon as Stallone’s father, Anna Sophia Robb as Stallone’s first wife, Sasha, Tracy Letts as a skeptical studio executive, Kiki Seto as Talia Shire, Stephan James as a chills-inducing doppelganger for Carl Weathers, and, speaking of doppelgangers, get a load of the thespian pooch playing Butkus the dog.

Curiously, Stallone has previously stated that he was “blindsided” by the project, and declared that he had “nothing to do with it.” Farrelly has pushed back on those statements, saying that he sent Stallone the script and, perhaps in an effort to deflect any negative attention, that Stallone simply “forgot.”

Whatever the case, I Play Rocky looks like a potential sleeper hit, much like the original film. Don’t be surprised if I Play Rocky spins the box office turnstiles and enters into end-of-year awards discussion. If nothing else, the trailer whets the appetite for fans of the series and those who love a great underdog story. The synergy between I Play Rocky and Rocky is remarkably evident in the trailer.

Here it is:

David Phillips

David Phillips has been writing on boxing for just over a decade for The Sweet Science and NY Fights. He runs his own blog dedicated to the appreciation of classic and overlooked films, reelreframe.com, and writes on film and television for Awards Daily. His essay “My Black Grandpa” was shortlisted as “Best of Folklore” by The Bitter Southerner in 2018. Author of Goodnight to the Peoples. You can follow David on Twitter @BrotherJulius83

See author's posts