New First Look Photos Show Anthony Ippolito Transformed Into Sylvester Stallone for ‘I Play Rocky’

Biopics chronicling the making of beloved films have become something of a trend in recent years, giving audiences a peek behind the curtain of the movies that shaped pop culture. Few underdog stories feel as fitting for that treatment as the making of ‘Rocky,’ a film built entirely on the idea that persistence beats rejection.

That’s exactly the territory ‘I Play Rocky‘ is digging into, dramatizing Sylvester Stallone’s real-life battle to write, produce, and star in his own screenplay despite being turned down by studios who wanted the role for someone else. Directed by Peter Farrelly, the film has been generating buzz ever since Anthony Ippolito was cast as a young Stallone, largely thanks to just how uncanny the resemblance turned out to be.

New images have now surfaced showing Ippolito and co-star Stephan James, who plays Carl Weathers, fully transformed for their respective roles. The photos offer fans their clearest look yet at how closely the film’s central duo mirrors the real Stallone and Weathers from the making of the 1976 original.

‘I Play Rocky’ centers on Stallone’s refusal to sell his screenplay unless he could also star as Rocky Balboa himself, a demand that put him at odds with producers offering significant money for the rights alone. That gamble, made while Stallone was broke and facing constant rejection from Hollywood gatekeepers, ultimately paid off in historic fashion, with ‘Rocky’ going on to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards and launching a billion-dollar franchise.

Ippolito’s path to landing the role echoes the underdog spirit of the story itself. According to reports, Ippolito sent producers an unsolicited audition tape after learning the project was in development, and that tape was enough to convince the filmmakers he was right for the part.

The actor isn’t a stranger to playing real-life screen legends, having previously portrayed a young Al Pacino in Paramount+’s limited series “The Offer.” That experience inhabiting iconic performers appears to have carried over directly into his transformation as Stallone.

Alongside Ippolito and James, the film features AnnaSophia Robb as Sasha Czack, Stallone’s first wife, and Matt Dillon as Frank Stallone Sr., Stallone’s father. Toby Kebbell rounds out the cast as producer Robert Chartoff, with Tracy Letts, Jay Duplass, and P.J. Byrne also appearing in supporting roles.

James, who plays the late Carl Weathers, brings his own layer of resemblance to the film, with early reactions to previous first-look images praising how closely he captures Weathers’ presence on screen. Weathers originated the role of Apollo Creed in the original ‘Rocky’ and became one of the franchise’s most enduring figures across multiple sequels.

Peter Farrelly, an Oscar winner for ‘Green Book,’ directs ‘I Play Rocky’ from a screenplay by Peter Gamble, with production handled by Fireside Films and Baha Productions. Principal photography took place across New York City, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles, mirroring the real-world hustle that defined the original film’s own scrappy production.

Amazon MGM Studios is set to release ‘I Play Rocky’ in limited theaters on November 13, arriving nearly 50 years to the day after the original ‘Rocky’ first hit theaters in 1976. With the film’s striking first-look photos already generating excitement online, anticipation is building for a full trailer and further details ahead of its release.

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