Antonio Ippolino and Sylvester Stallone in Rocky Macrae Marran; Courtesy Everett Collection Share on Facebook Share on X Share to Flipboard Send an Email Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Print the Article Post a Comment Anthony Ippolito, who portrayed Al Pacino in the Paramount limited series The Offer, is now tackling another famous Italian American actor. Ippolito has nabbed the starring role in I Play Rocky, the story of the making of boxing classic Rocky being made by Amazon MGM. Peter Farrelly, the comedy helmer who won an Oscar for directing The Green Book, is directing the feature that Amazon MGM intends to release in theaters. Ippolito will star as a young Sylvester Stallone in the drama, the true Hollywood story about an unknown actor with an unshakable belief that he wasn't just meant to write Rocky-he was meant to be Rocky Balboa. Told "no" at every turn, Stallone bets everything on himself, holding the line on playing the lead against seemingly impossible odds. The result is the ultimate underdog story behind the ultimate underdog movie. Related Stories TV Lisa Ann Walter Burst Into Tears When Finding Out Talia Shire Would Play Her Mom on 'Abbott Elementary' News Sylvester Stallone Is Latest Celeb to Back Trump, Calls Him a "Second George Washington" at Gala In a fitting echo of that spirit, Ippolito is said to have pursued the part of Stallone with the same relentless drive. Upon first hearing about the project, he made an unsolicited audition tape on his own and sent it directly to the producers. That bold move ultimately led to him landing the role, mirroring the very tenacity I Play Rocky celebrates. Toby Emmerich, the former chairman of the Warner Bros. Pictures Group, and Christian Baha will produce. Peter Gamble wrote the script. The Rocky movies, distributed by United Artists and later MGM, is one of the most iconic and financially successful sports film franchises of all time, grossing over $1.7 billion globally, including the modern Creed spin-offs. Stallone created and starred in the movies, with the story of his fighting to act in the 1976 movie, which went on to win the Oscar for best picture, now part of Hollywood history. Ippolito played Oscar winner actor Pacino' in the Paramount+ limited series The Offer, which told the story about the making of another 1970s film classic, The Godfather. He also co-starred in Netflix's romantic drama Purple Hearts, played a younger version of Adam Sander's character in Pixels and appeared in David Chase's Not Fade Away. Ippolito is repped by Gersh, Untitled Entertainment, and Lichter Grossman. THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up Werner Herzog Francis Ford Coppola, at First Red Carpet Since Heart Procedure, Gets Round of Applause From Photographers Nicole Scherzinger 'Building the Band' Winner 3Quency Signs With Records and Columbia Records (Exclusive) Venice Film Festival 2025 'Mother' Review: A Magnetic Noomi Rapace Plays Young Mother Teresa in a Stylistically Spiky Period Piece Venice Film Festival 2025 Inside 'Megadoc': How Francis Ford Coppola Made Mike Figgis an Offer He Couldn't Refuse Obituaries Floyd Levine, Actor and Father of Brian Robbins, Dies at 93 Heat Vision 'Harry Potter' Director Chris Columbus Criticizes HBO Remake: "What's the Point?" Werner Herzog Francis Ford Coppola, at First Red Carpet Since Heart Procedure, Gets Round of Applause From Photographers Nicole Scherzinger 'Building the Band' Winner 3Quency Signs With Records and Columbia Records (Exclusive) Venice Film Festival 2025 'Mother' Review: A Magnetic Noomi Rapace Plays Young Mother Teresa in a Stylistically Spiky Period Piece Venice Film Festival 2025 Inside 'Megadoc': How Francis Ford Coppola Made Mike Figgis an Offer He Couldn't Refuse Obituaries Floyd Levine, Actor and Father of Brian Robbins, Dies at 93 Heat Vision 'Harry Potter' Director Chris Columbus Criticizes HBO Remake: "What's the Point?"