Peter Farrelly’s I Play Rocky premiered to a roaring standing ovation at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival on September 12, instantly becoming one of the festival’s hottest crowd-pleasers and a serious early Oscar contender.
The biographical drama tells the true underdog story of how a broke, unknown actor named Sylvester Stallone wrote the screenplay for Rocky in a fevered burst of inspiration after watching Muhammad Ali fight Chuck Wepner — and then refused to sell the script unless he could play the lead role himself. Studios kept offering more money for the rights if a bigger star played Rocky. Stallone kept repeating the same line: “I play Rocky.”
Anthony Ippolito’s Star-Making Turn
Newcomer Anthony Ippolito delivers a career-launching performance as young Stallone. Critics and audiences have praised his uncanny physical resemblance and the way he captures Stallone’s voice, mannerisms, and stubborn determination. Supporting turns from AnnaSophia Robb (as Stallone’s first wife Sasha Czack), Matt Dillon (as Frank Stallone Sr.), Stephan James (as Carl Weathers / Apollo Creed), Jay Duplass (as director John Avildsen), Tracy Letts (as a studio executive), and others have also drawn strong notices.
Crowd-Pleaser with Oscar Buzz
Farrelly, who previously won the TIFF People’s Choice Award with Green Book before it went on to Best Picture, has crafted another audience favorite. Multiple mid-film applause moments and a lengthy standing ovation marked the premiere at the Princess of Wales Theatre. Early Rotten Tomatoes scores sit in the mid-70s, with some critics calling it lightweight fan service while others celebrate its heart, humor, and clever recreation of Rocky’s most iconic sequences.
The film recreates key moments from the 1976 classic while showing the messy, funny, and high-stakes process of getting an independent-minded script made inside the Hollywood system of the 1970s.
Release Date and What’s Next
Amazon MGM Studios will open the film in limited release on November 6, 2026, expanding nationwide on November 20. With strong festival heat and an awards-friendly underdog narrative, I Play Rocky is already generating Best Picture and Best Actor conversations.
Search interest in “I Play Rocky,” “I Play Rocky review,” “Anthony Ippolito,” and related terms has surged as word of the TIFF reaction spreads across the United States.
Reactions on X
#TIFF: "I Play Rocky" received a rousing standing ovation from the Toronto International Film Festival audience at its premiere Saturday night as the crowd appeared to embrace the movie about the making of "Rocky."
— CityNews Toronto (@CityNewsTO) September 14, 2026
