Matt Dillon and Stephan James the Latest to Join Cast of ‘I Play Rocky’
Anthony Ippolito will star as Sylvester Stallone in the story of how the actor struggled to secure the lead of the boxing classic he himself scripted.
(Left) Matt Dillon in 'The House That Jack Built'. Photo: TrustNordisk. (Right) Stephan James in 'Race'. Photo: Entertainment One Films.
Preview:
- Matt Dillon and Stephan James are boarding new drama ‘I Play Rocky’.
- Anthony Ippolito is playing Sylvester Stallone in the movie.
- Peter Farrelly is in the director’s chair.
A little over a month since we learned that director Peter Farrelly had picked Anthony Ippolito to play Sylvester Stallone in the tumultuous making-of story of one of the classic sports movies –– that would be ‘Rocky’ –– we now know two of the names joining him in ‘I Play Rocky.’
Deadline reports that Matt Dillon (‘Crash’) and Stephan James (‘Race’) have signed on to the film, playing Frank Stallone Sr. (Sly’s dad) and Carl Weathers (who played Apollo Creed in ‘Rocky’ and beyond) respectively.
They join AnnaSophia Robb ('Rebel Ridge'), who has the role of Sasha Czack, Stallone’s girlfriend at the time, and future wife.
Related Article: Anthony Ippolito to be Sylvester Stallone in ‘I Play Rocky’
What’s the story of ‘I Play Rocky’?
(L to R) Sylvester Stallone and Carl Weathers in 'Rocky'. Photo: United Artists.
Peter Gamble (‘Office Uprising’) wrote the script for this one, which follows a struggling actor with a partially paralyzed face and a speech impediment writes a script that a big movie studio wants to buy, but he refuses to sell it unless he gets to play the lead.
Turning down an offer of life-changing money, he instead works for pennies to get the movie made with himself in the starring role.
The movie became the biggest box office hit of 1976, notching 10 Oscar nominations and winning Best Picture.
A cultural touchstone that established Stallone as a Hollywood legend, the ‘Rocky’ franchise, distributed by United Artists and later MGM, remains one of the most iconic and financially successful sports film franchises of all time, with $1.7 billion in grosses between the original films and their ‘Creed’ spin-offs.
Where else can we see Matt Dillon and Stephan James?
Matt Dillon in 'High Desert,' now streaming on Apple TV.
Dillon, who earned an Oscar nomination for his role in ‘Crash’, was seen in Wes Anderson’s ‘Asteroid City’ and the Apple TV series ‘High Desert’. His most recent gig was this year’s ‘The Fence.’
James appeared in 'If Beale Street Could Talk'. Next he’ll be seen starring opposite Alan Ritchson in Netflix’s sci-fi actioner ‘War Machine.’
When will ‘I Play Rocky’ punch its way to screens?
While Amazon MGM Studios has this one aiming for a theatrical release, the company has yet to specify a date.
Sylvester Stallone in 'Rocky'. Photo: United Artists.
Movies in the 'Rocky' Franchise:
- ‘Rocky' (1976)
- ‘Rocky II' (1979)
- 'Rocky III' (1982)
- ‘Rocky IV' (1985)
- 'Rocky V' (1990)
- 'Rocky Balboa' (2006)
- 'Creed' (2015)
- 'Creed II' (2018)
- 'Creed III' (2023)
Buy 'Rocky' Movies On Amazon
