He’s got the eye of the Sylvester.
“Rocky” star Sylvester Stallone sent his best wishes on Sunday to the team of his new biopic, “I Play Rocky,” including the actor who will soon embody his younger self onscreen.
“The movie ‘I play Rocky’ [sic] started filming Friday,” Stallone, 79, wrote in an Instagram post alongside a photo of Anthony Ippolito running on a beach. “Good luck to them – keep punching!!!”
The 25-year-old Islip native, who’s a dead ringer for Sly, isn’t picking up the gloves of Rocky Balboa, though.
He’s playing an early-career Stallone — from the 1960s to ‘76 — as the showbiz unknown wrote and eventually starred in “Rocky” all the way to a Best Picture Oscar win over the likes of “Network,” “All The President’s Men” and “Taxi Driver.”
It’s the ultimate Hollywood underdog story.
The Amazon MGM film, which has no release date yet, will be directed by Peter Farrelly, whose “Green Book” won Best Picture in 2019.
Casting news has slowly trickled out. Last week, Deadline reported that PJ Byrne will play producer Irwin Winkler, Toby Kebbell is producer Robert Chartoff, Tracy Letts is a composite of studio execs and Jay Duplass will be “Rocky” director John Avildsen.
Previously it was revealed that AnnaSophia Robb will play Stallone’s ex-wife Sasha Czack, Matt Dillon will be Frank Stallone Sr. and Stephan James will tackle the part of Apollo Creed actor Carl Weathers, who died in 2024.
“I Play Rocky” isn’t Ippolito’s first time becoming a screen legend. In the Paramount+ limited series “The Offer,” the actor also played Oscar winner Al Pacino.
The nine-movie “Rocky” franchise continues to be a huge Hollywood moneymaker. The three “Creed” films starring Michael B. Jordan have grossed a combined $664 million worldwide.
