Peter Farrelly’s film “I Play Rocky,” which chronicles Sylvester Stallone’s journey to bring the iconic boxer to the screen, premiered to acclaim at the Toronto Film Festival, but its path to production was fraught with challenges.
Despite owning the rights to the “Rocky” intellectual property, Amazon MGM Studios initially passed on the script, penned by Peter Gamble. Courtenay Valenti, head of film, streaming, and theatrical at Amazon MGM Studios, presented the project to the studio’s marketing and distribution teams, who rejected it. Farrelly later became attached as director, with Toby Emmerich serving as producer.
Sources familiar with the production indicated that studios were hesitant due to the perception that a period drama might not perform well, particularly internationally, citing the modest international box office for the first “Creed” film. Another factor was the potential difficulty in licensing the IP from Amazon MGM, as the film was considered borderline fair use. The film’s prospects for streaming also appeared uncertain, with some believing that dramas do not typically perform well on streaming services.
Valenti, who had previously collaborated with Farrelly on “Ricky Stanicky,” advocated for the project. After initial rejections, Valenti worked to secure distribution, eventually convincing Mike Hopkins, senior vice president of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, to greenlight the film. Valenti emphasized that the film’s release would coincide with the 50th anniversary of the original “Rocky” and could drive Prime Video viewers to the 1977 best picture Oscar winner.
The budget for “I Play Rocky” was ultimately set in the low $30 million range, with Amazon committing over $10 million for U.S. distribution rights. FilmNation’s Glen Basner reportedly handled the sale of foreign rights.
The film received a standing ovation at its Toronto premiere. New York Post critic Johnny Oleksinski described the film as “stirring, inspiring, surprisingly hilarious and easy to love.” Sylvester Stallone reportedly watched a print of the film at his Florida home and was moved to tears by it.
![Anthony Ippolito as Sylvester Stallone in "I Play Rocky" runs on a beach with a bullmastiff dog.]( "Peter Farrelly's "I Play Rocky" wowed the crowd at the Toronto Film Festival.")
“I Play Rocky” is set to open in theaters on November 6, positioning it for potential awards season consideration and aiming to add value to the “Rocky” franchise.