New film recounts the low-budget origins of 'Rocky'
The movie depicts Sylvester Stallone rejecting a $360,000 script option to star in his own creation, leading to a production that cost $1 million.
By Vikram Harrison ·
Peter Farrelly’s new film, I Play Rocky, opens in theaters on Friday with a focus on the financial gamble behind the 1976 classic. The movie depicts the creation of a boxing drama that cost $1 million to make, a sum that was far below the industry standard for a feature film at the time.
The central conflict of the narrative involves a negotiation between the writer and studio executives. The film shows Sylvester Stallone, played by Anthony Ippolito, turning down a $360,000 offer to sell his script without retaining the lead role. This amount was four times the initial offer. Stallone parked his car and walked away from the deal, demanding that he play the title character.
Tracy Letts portrays Sandy Maddox, a composite character representing the United Artists studio. Letts’ character is frustrated by the project’s low budget and the writer’s demands. The film also features P.J. Byrne and Toby Kebbell as producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff. These two figures act as mediators between the writer and the studio, managing the back-and-forth offers.
The story begins with Stallone in New York City, where he was known as Mike Stallone. The film describes him as recently homeless and working odd jobs. He had written more than a dozen screenplays before writing Rocky. AnnaSophia Robb plays Sasha, a box office cashier who becomes his first wife. In Los Angeles, she typed his scripts while he continued to write.
The inspiration for the script is shown as a direct reaction to a specific event. The film depicts Stallone watching the 15-round fight between Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner in a bar. He returns home and writes the draft in three and a half days. Ippolito, who previously played Al Pacino in The Offer, portrays Stallone with a sweet and earnest demeanor. The performance avoids the caricature of the famous actor’s public persona.
Farrelly, who directed Green Book, uses a comedic structure for the drama. The script by Peter Gamble condenses the timeline of Stallone’s early career. The film includes a recurring joke about actors exaggerating their skills. Stephan James plays Carl Weathers, who eventually admits he did not know how to box when he was cast as Apollo Creed. Stallone also admits to this lack of training in the film.
The production moved to Philadelphia to avoid the higher union costs in New York. Jay Duplass plays director John G. Avildsen, who is described as efficient. The film notes the early use of the Steadicam during the shoot. The final product, Rocky, became a major success despite its small budget and the studio’s initial skepticism.
I Play Rocky is rated PG-13 for strong language, brief sexual material, and smoking. The film runs for 128 minutes. It is a release from Amazon MGM Studios. The movie marks the 50th anniversary of the original film’s theatrical release.
