Rocky Balboa he is not just a cinematic character, but a timeless icon capable of crossing generations, languages and cultural boundaries. Born as a symbol of the outsider who never stops believing in his dreams, the Philadelphia boxer he has become one of the most recognizable faces in cinema history. Almost fifty years after his debut on the big screen, the legend of Rocky now returns to the center of the story with a film that explores its genesisintertwining it in a direct and personal way with the life of its creator.
It’s breaking news that I Play Rockya new project from Amazon MGM, will arrive in US theaters November 20following a limited release set for November 13. A date that is anything but random: the film will in fact debut during the Thanksgiving period, traditionally among the strongest for the box office, and above all close to 50th anniversary of Rockyreleased in 1976 and celebrated on November 21st. A timing that reinforces the celebratory value of the operation, conceived from the beginning as an explicit homage to one of the founding myths of New Hollywood.
The film presents itself as a reinterpretation of the birth of Rockybut at the same time as a real biopic of Sylvester Stallone. Playing the young Stallone is Anthony Ippolitocalled to talk about a crucial moment in the actor’s career and life. You can see it in the first images released over the last few months. At his side we find Stephan James in the role of Carl Weathersthe unforgettable Apollo Creedoltre ad AnnaSophia Robb, Matt Dillon, P.J. Byrne, Tracy Letts e Jay Duplass.
I Play Rocky has its roots in an often forgotten period of Stallone’s history. Before his success, the actor was 29 years old, struggling to emerge in Hollywood and living with partial facial paralysis and a speech impediment. The screenplay by Rockywritten by himself, represented the turning point, but only on condition of a radical choice: Stallone refused to sell the script if he had not been chosen as the protagonist. He passed up six-figure offers and helped make the film on a budget of less than $1 million. The rest is history: over 200 million dollars grossed worldwide and the Oscar for best film, direction and editing in 1977.
Directed by I Play Rocky there is Peter Farrellyalready an Oscar winner for Green Bookwhich he directs from a screenplay by Peter Gamble. Farrelly also serves as producer alongside Toby Emmerich and Christian Baha, while FilmNation Entertainment handled production services and international sales. Baha himself described the project thus at the time of the announcement in 2024: «When I first read Peter Gamble’s energetic and touching script, I knew it captured something truly special. The story of I Play Rocky is as unique as Sylvester Stallone himself, a seemingly everyman with an undeniable gift who needs to share it with the world and who refuses to take “no” for an answer».
A film that therefore promises to celebrate Rocky not only as a character, but as an act of faith in cinema and in the strength of stories born against all odds. Now all that remains is to understand if the release date of November 20th will also be confirmed in Italy, but considering the weight of the operation, it is reasonable to expect a major international release at the same time.
Read also: Rocky Balboa’s original fate would have infuriated all his fans
Fonte: Variety
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