Get ready to feel like you’re back in !
The underdog story of the century is getting its own origin story, and the first look is officially a heavyweight contender. On Wednesday, Amazon MGM Studios pulled back the curtain at CinemaCon in Las Vegas to reveal the first footage of I Play Rocky, the highly anticipated drama about how Sylvester Stallone brought the world’s favorite boxer to life.
Stepping into the iconic boxing trunks of a young Sly is Anthony Ippolito, and let’s just say the internet is already losing it over his transformation. From the signature raspy voice to the gritty determination, Ippolito seems to have captured the exact moment Stallone went from a struggling actor to a global superstar.
Director Peter Farrelly took the stage alongside Ippolito and the young cast, making a bold promise to the audience: “They’re going to blow you away.”
The footage shown to the lucky crowd in Vegas highlights the heartbreaking reality Stallone faced before he was a household name. In one scene, Ippolito’s character is brutally told, “You don’t got the looks to be a movie star, you talk like you’ve got rocks in your mouth.”
The film also dives into Sly’s personal life, featuring AnnaSophia Robb as his supportive girlfriend who encourages him to stop going by “Mike”—a name he used because kids teased him—and reclaim his birth name. She’s the one who inspires him to stop waiting for a role and write his own destiny.
Of course, that destiny was Rocky. The footage follows Stallone’s real-life quest to convince studio executives that he was the only man who could play the titular role, even when he had nothing but a script and a dream.
By the end of the clip, as that legendary Rocky score begins to swell in the background, Ippolito delivers a line that has fans on X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok getting chills: “This movie is about having a belief in yourself, it’s about going the distance. I put my heart and soul on the page; if I’m not willing to live up to what I wrote, then what’s the point?”
Social media reactions have been swift and emotional. “I didn’t think anyone could capture Sly’s energy, but Anthony Ippolito is nailing it,” one fan wrote. Another added, “AnnaSophia Robb and Anthony Ippolito are the duo I didn’t know I needed. This is going to be an awards season giant.”
Ippolito is no stranger to playing Hollywood royalty; he previously earned rave reviews for his portrayal of a young Al Pacino in the series The Offer.
The film boasts a stacked cast including Matt Dillon, P.J. Byrne, Toby Kebbell, and Tracy Letts. It’s all leading up to a perfectly timed release: I Play Rocky hits theaters nationwide on Nov. , just one day before the th anniversary of the original film’s debut.
The original Rocky didn’t just win Best Picture at the Oscars; it spawned a franchise that has grossed over $. billion globally. But before the fame and the Creed spin-offs, there was just a guy who refused to sell his script unless he could be the star.
If the CinemaCon footage is any indication, Anthony Ippolito is ready to go the distance.
Will you be heading to theaters this November to see the making of a legend? Let us know in the comments!
