{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","contentId":"0000019f-618a-d66a-a79f-6dcf0e690000","url":"https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/entertainment/i-play-rocky-trailer-cast-release-date-amazon-mgm-studios","headline":"Watch the trailer for 'I Play Rocky,' the true story behind ‘Rocky,’ coming to theaters November 2026","description":"Watch the trailer for I Play Rocky, starring Anthony Ippolito as a young Sylvester Stallone, coming to theaters November 2026.","datePublished":"2026-07-15T13:00:14.434Z","dateModified":"2026-07-15T13:00:14.434Z","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Tyler Greenawalt","url":"https://www.aboutamazon.com/author/tyler-greenawalt","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/4e1fcb5/2147483647/strip/true/crop/512x512+0+0/resize/84x84!/grayscale/true/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2F3a%2Fdf%2F26883a6a4c3f88fb4cbd7f298834%2Ftyler-headshot-2.jpeg","width":"84","height":"84"}}],"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/8a46d7d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2000x1000+0+63/resize/1200x600!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2F17%2F27%2Fd834b3484831b9f2b8d3c875e70a%2Funtitled-15-july-2026-at-14-00-31.png","width":"1200","height":"600"},"articleBody":"# Watch the trailer for 'I Play Rocky,' the true story behind ‘Rocky,’ coming to theaters November 2026\n\n*Anthony Ippolito stars as a young Sylvester Stallone in the Amazon MGM Studios film, directed by Academy Award winner Peter Farrelly.*\n\n---\n\n## Key takeaways\n\n- *I Play Rocky* tells the true story of a young Sylvester Stallone fighting to create and star in *Rocky*.\n- Academy Award winner Peter Farrelly directs the [Amazon MGM Studios](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/tag/mgm) film, with Anthony Ippolito starring as a young Stallone.\n- The film releases in select theaters on November 6, 2026, and everywhere later in November, 50 years after the original film debuted in 1976.\n\n---\n\nThe first trailer for *I Play Rocky* is here—and it tells a story almost as unlikely as *Rocky* itself.\n\nAmazon MGM Studios' *I Play Rocky* follows a young, unknown Sylvester Stallone as he fights to bring his vision of *Rocky* to the big screen and to star in it himself.\n\nDirected by Academy Award winner Peter Farrelly (*Green Book*), the film arrives in theaters in November 2026, nearly 50 years to the day after the original *Rocky* debuted in 1976.\n\n![A scene from Project Hail Mary starring Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace in white shirt with orange harness inside spacecraft](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/79590cd/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1350x900+125+0/resize/300x200!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2Feb%2Fc9%2Ff51f347945f284afc841f846c006%2Fabout-amazon-inline-project-hail-mary-phm-30245-r2-rgb.jpg)\n\n- [How to watch ‘Project Hail Mary,' streaming now on Prime Video](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/entertainment/project-hail-mary-ryan-gosling-amazon-mgm-studios)\n\n## When does ‘I Play Rocky’ release?\n\n*I Play Rocky* debuts in select theaters on November 6, 2026, and will be in theaters everywhere later in November.\n\n## What is 'I Play Rocky' about?\n\n*I Play Rocky* is an electrifying true story about an unknown actor with an unshakable belief that he wasn’t just meant to write Rocky—he was meant to be Rocky Balboa. Told “no” at every turn, Sylvester Stallone bets everything on himself, holding the line on playing the lead against seemingly impossible odds.\n\nThe result is the ultimate underdog story behind the ultimate underdog movie.\n\n![An image of the cover of 'Fourth Wing,' one of the Best Books of 2023 according to Amazon's book editors.](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/2ae36e6/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1350x900+122+0/resize/300x200!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2Fee%2F52%2Fa8b4b0124ffaa55339997f42ce63%2Finline-divinerivals-cover.jpg)\n\n- [Everything to know about the 'Fourth Wing' series coming to Prime Video](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/entertainment/fourth-wing-series-prime-video)\n\n## Who are the cast and crew behind 'I Play Rocky'?\n\nAnthony Ippolito (*The Offer*) stars as a young Sylvester Stallone.\n\nThe cast also includes Matt Dillon, AnnaSophia Robb, P.J. Byrne, Toby Kebbell, Tracy Letts, Jay Duplass, Stephan James, Kiki Seto, Robert Morgan, Saul Stein, Trevor St. John, Erik Palladino, and Rob Demery.\n\nFarrelly directs from a script by Peter Gamble. Toby Emmerich, Christian Baha, and Farrelly produce the film from Fireside Films and Baha Productions.\n\n## What else is coming from Amazon MGM Studios?\n\n*I Play Rocky* is one of several films Amazon MGM Studios is bringing to [theaters in 2026 and 2027](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/entertainment/amazon-mgm-studios-films). Other films to watch for in the coming months include *How to Rob a Bank*, [*Verity*](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/entertainment/verity-colleen-hoover-amazon-mgm-studios), *The Thomas Crown Affair*, and [*Spaceballs: The New One*](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/entertainment/spaceballs-2-sequel-amazon-mgm-studios).\n\nYou can stream other Amazon MGM Studios films on Prime Video such as [*Project Hail Mary*](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/entertainment/project-hail-mary-ryan-gosling-amazon-mgm-studios), [*Crime 101*](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/entertainment/crime-101-chris-hemsworth-amazon-mgm-studios), [*The Sheep Detectives*](https://www.amazon.com/salp/thesheepdetectives?hhf), and more.\n\nFans of the entire [*Rocky* franchise](https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0B6Q61LDX?ref_=atv_dp_share_cu_r) can buy or rent the iconic films on [Prime Video](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/tag/prime-video) or watch with a [subscription to AMC+](https://www.primevideo.com/-/en/channel/ccf8ed18-a5c7-44ec-95cd-94a8e9eaf3ec). The entire [*Creed*](https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0G1BVBQQV?ref_=atv_sr_fle_c_sr62ef6f_1_1_1&qid=1783959268903&pageTypeIdSource=ASIN&sr=1-1&pageTypeId=B0G1BLH54N) trilogy is also available to buy or rent. [*Delphi*](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/entertainment/michael-b-jordan-creed-delphi-prime-video), an upcoming Prime Video series set in the *Creed* universe, is also on the horizon.\n\n![Callum Vinson, Dave Bautista, and Mandy Patinkin - the cast of Prime Video TV show God of War](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/14c6923/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1688x1125+156+0/resize/300x200!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2Fbf%2F34%2F0d5b1df1452ca838fb0fbd101fb2%2Fgod-of-war-cast-hero-amazon-news-em.png)\n\n- ['God of War' on Prime Video: Everything to know about the video game adaptation](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/entertainment/god-of-war-prime-video-series)\n\n[Prime Video](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/entertainment/what-you-need-to-know-about-prime-video) is included in an [Amazon Prime membership](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/amazon-prime-benefits), which costs $14.99 a month or $139 a year. Amazon also offers additional, discounted membership options providing the same benefits of a regular Prime membership—including free delivery on more than 300 million items, exclusive deals, and savings for eligible members—at only 50% of the cost.\n\nYoung adults (ages 18-24) and college students can try [Prime for Young Adults](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/amazon-prime-for-young-adults) with a six-month trial, then pay only $7.49 a month, or $69 a year. Qualifying government-assistance recipients can try [Prime Access](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/amazon-prime-access-discounted-membership) for 30 days before paying $6.99 a month.\n\nPlease check your local Amazon website for pricing and availability in your region.\n\nInterested in trying out Prime? You can [sign up](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/how-to-sign-up-for-a-prime-membership) or start a [free trial](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/amazon-prime-free-trial).\n\nNext, watch [the trailer for *Verity*](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/entertainment/verity-colleen-hoover-amazon-mgm-studios), an Amazon MGM Studios film premiering in theaters October 2.","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"About Amazon","url":"https://www.aboutamazon.com","sameAs":["https://x.com/amazonnews","https://www.linkedin.com/company/amazon","https://www.instagram.com/amazonnews"],"logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://assets.aboutamazon.com/bd/8f/88e7b0314cc2bd05b9de3155a0fe/amazon-news.svg"},"parentOrganization":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Amazon","url":"https://www.amazon.com","sameAs":["https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3884","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_(company)","https://x.com/Amazon"]}}}