Amazon MGM Sets 'I Play Rocky' Biopic Release for 2026

Amazon MGM Studios has announced a theatrical release for "I Play Rocky," a biopic chronicling Sylvester Stallone's real-life journey to create and star in the original "Rocky" film, with a limited debut set for November 13, 2026, followed by a nationwide rollout on November 20. The timing aligns closely with the 50th anniversary of the 1976 classic, which premiered on November 21.

The film, directed by Oscar winner Peter Farrelly of "Green Book" fame, explores Stallone's determination as a struggling actor in his late 20s to bring his underdog boxing story to the screen. At age 29, Stallone faced significant personal and professional hurdles, including a speech impediment and partial facial paralysis from a birth injury. He penned the "Rocky" screenplay in just three days after watching a Muhammad Ali-Chuck Wepner fight, but insisted on casting himself as the titular character, Rocky Balboa. Producers offered him six-figure sums to sell the script to established stars like Burt Reynolds or Ryan O'Neal, but he refused, betting on his own vision despite financial desperation.

Anthony Ippolito, known for roles in "Purple Hearts" and the Paramount+ series "The Offer" where he...