A trailer for the upcoming film I Play Rocky has been released, depicting Sylvester Stallone's journey to write and star in the original Rocky. The movie, produced by Amazon MGM Studios, stars Anthony Ippolito as a young Stallone, a performance already drawing comparisons to artificial intelligence for its accuracy.
Uncanny Resemblance Sparks Social Media Buzz
Viewers have praised Ippolito's portrayal, with one X user declaring, 'Holy s**t, I'm freaked out. This looks like AI. The guy is IDENTICAL to young Stallone. The voice is the same, the way he talks. This nutjob is gonna win the Oscar.' Another YouTube commenter insisted, 'That is Stallone, you can't tell me otherwise.' Stephen L Miller quipped on X, 'This guy has Stallone so down that the sequel to this should be I Play Rambo.'
Ippolito, 26, previously impressed as a young Al Pacino in the 2022 mini-series The Offer, about the making of The Godfather. In the trailer, he delivers Stallone's signature slurred voice, rumbling, 'Acting's what I live and breathe for. And I gotta have faith in myself.' He is met with skepticism: 'You don't got the looks to be a movie star. Not to mention, you talk like you got rocks in your mouth.'
The Underdog Story Behind Rocky
The film chronicles Stallone's determination to star in Rocky, a script he wrote in three days after struggling as an actor. He rejected a $200,000 (£148,300) buy-out offer from executives who suggested casting Charles Bronson or Clint Eastwood. Stallone insisted, 'Guys, I play Rocky,' a line that becomes the film's title. The original Rocky was made on a $1 million (£741,700) budget, went on to earn $225 million (£166.8 million) at the box office, and won three Oscars, including Best Picture.
Despite the acclaim, some critics question the need for the film. Frederick Goodman suggested, 'Why is this a movie? Stallone is alive and we have Rocky footage? Have him tell his own story with footage intercut.' Others mocked the trend of Hollywood making films about itself, with one fan joking, 'In 10 years there will be an underdog movie about the underdog story of the struggle of making a movie about the making of the underdog story of Rocky Balboa.'
Cast and Release Details
The film also stars AnnaSophia Robb, Matt Dillon, Toby Kebbell, and PJ Byrne. It is written and directed by Peter Farrelly, known for Green Book and There's Something About Mary. I Play Rocky will be released in UK cinemas on November 6, 2026, and in US cinemas on November 20, 2026.
