“I Play Rocky” Triumph: The Underdog Film That Made Stallone Cry

The film “I Play Rocky,” directed by Peter Farrelly, made a significant impact at its debut during the Toronto Film Festival. However, its path to cinematic release was as challenging as the famed run up the Philadelphia Art Museum steps by its namesake character. Initially, every major studio rejected it.

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According to insiders at Page Six Hollywood, Amazon MGM, which ended up distributing the film, was the first to review Peter Gamble’s screenplay since they owned the rights to the Rocky franchise. Courtenay Valenti, the head of film, streaming, and theatrical at Amazon MGM Studios, presented it to the studio’s marketing and distribution departments, who decided against it.

It was only after Farrelly came on board, with ex-Warner Bros. executive Toby Emmerich as producer, that the project began to gain traction.

“When I read the script, I immediately thought it was the best script I had ever read,” Farrelly remarked during a post-premiere Q&A.

Valenti, having just collaborated with Farrelly on the Zac Efron-starring comedy “Ricky Stanicky,” was keen to work with him again, despite the projected budget being between $40 million and $50 million. However, they faced another rejection. The decision was influenced by the modest global earnings of the first “Creed” movie in 2015, which made only $64 million internationally compared to $110 million in the U.S.

“They were concerned about the challenges of marketing a period drama,” a source connected to the project explained. “‘Rocky’ doesn’t have as strong a brand appeal internationally as it does in the U.S., unlike ‘Bond’.”

The possibility of streaming did not improve its prospects either.

“They convinced themselves it was going to be a drama, which usually doesn’t do well on streaming platforms,” another insider familiar with the Rocky series noted. “This is the same studio that was ready to spend $200 million on ‘Masters of the Universe!’”

Nevertheless, Valenti remained supportive, promising not to obstruct the filmmakers who needed to license the Rocky IP from Amazon MGM, even though it was a borderline fair use case. Unfortunately, every other studio they approached turned the film down, leading them back to Amazon.

Valenti then proposed selling the international rights. Glen Basner of FilmNation took on the task, successfully selling rights across the globe.

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Valenti brought the restructured deal to Mike Hopkins, senior VP of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, emphasizing the upcoming 50th anniversary of the original “Rocky” in November and how the Anthony Ippolito-led “I Play Rocky” could attract viewers back to the 1977 Oscar-winning classic on Prime. The project’s budget was eventually reduced to just over $30 million, with Amazon investing more than $10 million for the U.S. rights.

“Courtenay really had to be convinced of its potential to advocate so strongly for it,” a third knowledgeable source mentioned.

The enthusiastic response at Toronto, which included a rare standing ovation, suggests that “I Play Rocky” could be a box office success upon its release on November 6 and a strong contender this awards season. It also promises to enhance the value of the Rocky film library.

New York Post critic Johnny Oleksinski praised the film as “stirring, inspiring, surprisingly hilarious, and easy to love,” noting that it captures the original “Rocky’s” spirited, unyielding, can-do attitude.

The film also won approval from a crucial viewer, Sylvester Stallone, the original Rocky, who reportedly shed tears when he watched a special screening at his home in Florida.

In true Rocky fashion, the film’s journey to the screen was marked by significant challenges and eventual triumph.