Anthony Ippolito, best known for his turn as Al Pacino in Paramount+’s ‘The Offer,’ is stepping into the shoes of another Hollywood legend. The actor has been cast as a young Sylvester Stallone in ‘I Play Rocky,’ Amazon MGM’s feature film chronicling the making of the 1976 classic ‘Rocky.’

The project will be directed by Peter Farrelly, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind ‘Green Book.’ Amazon MGM plans a theatrical release.

Written by Peter Gamble, ‘I Play Rocky’ recounts Stallone’s improbable rise from struggling actor to breakout star. At the time, Stallone was virtually unknown, but he refused to sell his screenplay for ‘Rocky’ unless he was allowed to play the lead. Facing rejection after rejection, he gambled everything on himself—a bet that would pay off with one of cinema’s most enduring underdog stories, both on and off screen.

In an almost poetic parallel, Ippolito reportedly pursued the Stallone role with similar tenacity. After learning of the project, he independently recorded an audition tape and sent it directly to producers, a bold move that ultimately won him the part.

The film is being produced by former Warner Bros. Pictures Group chairman Toby Emmerich and Christian Baha.

The ‘Rocky’ franchise, originally released by United Artists and later MGM, has grossed more than $1.7 billion worldwide, including its modern ‘Creed’ spin-offs. The original ‘Rocky’ won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1977 and cemented Stallone as a major force in Hollywood.

For Ippolito, ‘I Play Rocky’ marks another project rooted in 1970s Hollywood lore. He previously portrayed Pacino in ‘The Offer,’ the limited series that dramatized the making of ‘The Godfather.’ His credits also include Netflix’s ‘Purple Hearts,’ Adam Sandler’s ‘Pixels’ (where he played a younger version of Sandler’s character), and David Chase’s ‘Not Fade Away.’

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