‘I Play Rocky’ Scores a Surprising Score on Rotten Tomatoes Ahead of Its Theatrical Bow

Biopics about the making of beloved movies are a tricky genre to pull off. Audiences already know how the story ends, so the real challenge becomes making the journey feel just as compelling as the destination, especially when the subject is as iconic as ‘Rocky.’

That’s the challenge facing Peter Farrelly’s ‘I Play Rocky,’ which tells the true story of a struggling, largely unknown actor named Sylvester Stallone who refused to sell his script unless he got to star in it himself. Told “no” at seemingly every turn, Stallone bet everything on himself rather than cash a life-changing check to walk away from the lead role.

Now that the film has made its way to critics following its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, the first wave of reviews has landed, and the results are more divided than fans of the underdog story might expect. ‘I Play Rocky’ currently holds a 64% score on Rotten Tomatoes based on its first 10 reviews, a modest start for a film that had been positioned as a serious awards contender.

Anthony Ippolito stars as the young Stallone, a role that marks the actor’s second high-profile “making of” performance after playing Al Pacino in Paramount+’s limited series ‘The Offer.’ He’s joined by Stephan James as Carl Weathers, AnnaSophia Robb as Stallone’s first wife Sasha Czack, and Matt Dillon as Stallone’s father, Frank Stallone Sr.

The supporting ensemble rounds out the film’s behind-the-scenes recreation of ‘Rocky’s’ 1976 production, with P.J. Byrne playing producer Irwin Winkler, Toby Kebbell as producer Robert Chartoff, and Jay Duplass stepping into the role of director John G. Avildsen. Tracy Letts also appears in the film, which follows Stallone as he writes a script the studio wants to buy outright, only for him to hold firm on playing the lead despite the paralyzed face and speech impediment that made him an unconventional leading man.

Farrelly, an Academy Award winner for ‘Green Book,’ introduced the project’s trailer at CinemaCon by describing it as a movie made for anyone who’s ever been naive and stubborn enough to chase their dream into reality. It’s a fitting sentiment for a film built entirely around the idea of betting on yourself against impossible odds, even if critics have been split on how well that sentiment translates to the screen.

Running two hours and eight minutes and rated PG-13, ‘I Play Rocky’ arrives in theaters carrying the pedigree of Amazon MGM Studios’ fall release slate, a lineup typically reserved for films the studio hopes will generate awards buzz. The film’s test screenings reportedly performed well ahead of its festival debut, which made the modest Rotten Tomatoes debut something of a surprise for industry watchers tracking its rollout.

Notably, Stallone’s own name doesn’t appear anywhere in the film’s official marketing materials, a detail that has fueled speculation about unresolved rights issues tied to his life story. The actor has reportedly chosen not to publicly criticize the project, preferring to reserve judgment until he’s seen the finished film for himself.

The first trailer for ‘I PLAY ROCKY’ has been released.

The film follows a young Sylvester Stallone & the dramatic journey it took to get ‘ROCKY’ made.

In theaters on November 20. pic.twitter.com/yg5ePlhW43

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) July 15, 2026

With only 10 reviews currently factored into its Rotten Tomatoes score, that number is likely to shift considerably as more critics weigh in before the film’s wide theatrical release. Whether ‘I Play Rocky’ settles into fresh territory or stays stuck in the 60s will say a lot about how audiences respond to yet another Hollywood film about the making of a Hollywood film.

For now, the underdog story that inspired one of cinema’s most beloved franchises is facing its own uphill battle for critical consensus.

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