A film about the making of “Rocky” by the director of “Green Book”: yes, you read that right! And the casting is already underway… The question is on everyone’s lips: who will play Stallone?
Peter Farrelly, to whom we owe the Oscar winner Green Book: On the Roads of the South with Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali, is preparing to direct a film on Rocky but be careful, we are talking about a film on the story of the making of the film Rocky and how Sylvester Stallone came to make his iconic 1976 boxing feature.
I Play Rocky, from its title, will follow “a struggling actor with a partially paralyzed face and a speech impediment who writes a screenplay that a major movie studio wants to buy. But the actor refuses to sell it unless he can play the lead role”, can we read in its official synopsis which never directly names Sylvester Stallone. “Refusing an offer of money that could change his life, he works for pennies to get the film made with him in the lead role.”
This film, of course, is Rocky. And we know it, it will become the biggest box office success of 1976, garnering no less than 10 Oscar nominations, including an Oscar nomination for best actor for Stallone. The film ultimately won three golden statuettes: best film, best director for John G. Avildsen and best editing.
According to Indiewire, the casting of I Play Rocky is in progress. We will therefore have to wait to find out who will play Sylvester Stallone – or at least the character inspired by Stallone. The film will be presented to buyers at the next Cannes Film Festival market.
Besides Peter Farrelly To direct, we will find Toby Emmerich, former head of the cinema department of Warner Bros., and Christian Baha on production. Peter Gamble (Office Uprising) will pen the screenplay.
“I’ve been a fan of Peter Farrelly, both as a filmmaker and as a person, ever since I worked with him on the music for Dumb and Dumber. But it was Green Book that made me think of Pete for this inspiring scenario“, said Toby Emmerich in a statement (via Indiewire). “Christian Baha and I feel lucky to have Pete at the helm of this film. And like the unknown Stallone who stars in Rocky, Pete will undertake a worldwide search to discover another actor who only needs one chance – with I Play Rocky – to show the world what he’s made of.”
“When I first read Peter Gamble’s energetic and poignant script, I knew it captured something very special“, added Christian Baha. “The story of I Play Rocky is as unique as Sylvester Stallone himself, an ordinary man with an undeniable gift who needs to share it with the world and who refuses to take ‘no’ for an answer. And like the hero of our film, Baha Productions needed courage and determination as we fought for years to make this project a reality. We are very fortunate to team up with Toby Emmerich and Peter Farrelly, two legendary talents who not only share but enhance our vision for the film.”
Peter Farrelly returned to acting this year with Ricky Stanicky, after directing The Greatest Beer Run Ever, a Vietnam War film also based on a true story starring Zac Efron. He is best known for Green Book: On the roads of the south (2018) which won three Oscars: Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor for Mahershala Ali.
Will Apollo be in the film?
Rocky fans recently lost Carl Weathers, who played the legendary Apollo Creed in the original film and its sequels. The actor died last February at the age of 76. In a tribute to his deceased friend, Sylvester Stallone said he could never have done Rocky without him. Carl Weathers could therefore also be a major character in I Play Rocky.
MGM
It now only remains to be seen whether Sylvester Stallone will be involved in the project or not, he who was not satisfied with a potential film derived from the Creed saga centered on the villain of Rocky IV, Drago, claiming that the film had been developed behind his back. He also attacked the producer of Rocky, Irwin Winkler, whom he called a “parasite” in a long-running dispute over ownership of the film. To be continued.
While waiting to find out more, the entire Rocky saga can be seen again on VOD.
