‘I Play Rocky,’ Director Peter Farrelly
I Play Rocky has been a hot title since FilmNation began shopping it to international buyers back in Cannes Fest 2024.
A Hollywood-behind-Hollywood feature, it follows Sylvester Stallone in his struggles to get Rocky, his 1976 classic made, while insisting that he, an unknown actor, must play the lead.
Anthony Ippolito, who played a young Al Pacino in Paramount’s “making of The Godfather” series The Offer, is Stallone, with Jay Duplass as Rocky director John G. Avildsen, Stephan James as Carl Weathers, and Matt Dillon as Frank Stallone Sr.
Amazon MGM, who have domestic rights, have dated this for a Nov. 13 limited release, going wide Nov. 20, almost 50 years to the day of the original Rocky premiere (released Nov. 21, 1976), later sweeping the Oscars, including Best Picture.
My Oscar Book:
The film history hook, and Balboa’s Italian roots, would make this one a fit for Venice Fest.
But given Farrelly’s record with Toronto — he premiered both Green Book (2018) and The Greatest Beer Run Ever (2022) there, the Canadian Fest seems the most likely launchpad.
