New Trailer for 'I Play Rocky' Captures the Real-Life Underdog Story Behind Stallone's Classic

The first trailer for "I Play Rocky," a biographical drama directed by Peter Farrelly, has been released, according to Deadline. The film stars Anthony Ippolito as a young Sylvester Stallone and chronicles the actor's fight to star in the screenplay he wrote for the original 1976 film, with nkomode describing it as "an inside look at the making of a movie classic."

Deadline'I Play Rocky' Trailer Released: Peter Farrelly Film Follows Stallone's Fight to Star in His Own Screenplay

The Playlist reported that the film shows Stallone "whose belief in himself remains unshaken even as producers, studios, and practically everyone else tell him no." Soap Central noted that the trailer unveils Stallone's struggles to get the film made, mirroring the underdog narrative of "Rocky" itself.

Soap CentralI Play Rocky trailer unveils Sylvester Stallone's struggles with the film he wrote

"whose belief in himself remains unshaken even as producers, studios, and practically everyone else tell him no."

This theme of persistence against all odds drives the biopic, as Stallone refused to sell his script unless he could play the lead.

According to Deadline, the film tells "the underdog story of Stallone as an unknown actor who wrote the screenplay for Rocky and fought to star in it himself, despite constant rejection." The A.V. Club added that Stallone wrote the script in just three days, and his gamble paid off when "Rocky" became an Oscar-winning worldwide phenomenon.

The A.V. Club'I Play Rocky' trailer announced: Biopic chronicles Stallone's fight to star in the original film

"the underdog story of Stallone as an unknown actor who wrote the screenplay for Rocky and fought to star in it himself, despite constant rejection."

Stallone's bet on himself turned "Rocky" into a cultural touchstone, a story now getting the meta-biopic treatment.

Vital Thrills confirmed that "I Play Rocky" is set to open in theaters this November. The film comes from Peter Farrelly, an Academy Award-winning director known for "Green Book," as reported by multiple outlets including Deadline and StartupHub.ai. The trailer offers a first glimpse into how one of Hollywood's most famous underdog stories came to be, with Ippolito embodying Stallone's relentless quest.

StartupHub.aiI Play Rocky Trailer Drops