London Film Festival Screens I Play Rocky as Surprise Film

“I could do a TED talk about Anthony Ippolito. This kid is ridiculous,” director Peter Farrelly said as his biographical drama I Play Rocky unspooled as the Friday night surprise screening at the 70th BFI London Film Festival.

Surprise Screening at Royal Festival Hall

The audience guessing game at the BFI London Film Festival officially ended on Friday evening when the festival’s annual surprise film unspooled at London’s Royal Festival Hall, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Peter Farrelly directed the biographical drama, which explores the tumultuous production of the 1976 boxing classic that won three Academy Awards, including best picture. Farrelly took the stage before the screening to introduce the film to the crowd. Last year’s surprise selection was Daniel Roher’s Tuner, starring Leo Woodall and Dustin Hoffman. Other past surprise titles at the London festival include Saturday Night, Ferrari, The Menu, and C’mon C’mon. The current 70th edition of the festival runs through Sunday, Oct. 18, having opened with Andrew Scott and Olivia Colman in Elsinore and closing with Jesse Eisenberg’s The Debut.

Basement Audition Beats Worldwide Search

Farrelly told the audience that newcomer Anthony Ippolito secured the role of Sylvester Stallone before casting directors even launched their planned global search. The 27-year-old actor heard about the project, tracked down the script, and recorded three scenes in his grandmother’s basement on Long Island. After reviewing the self-tape, Farrelly decided they did not need to look any further. Speaking to the crowd, the director praised the script as a masterpiece and noted that the real-life story behind the making of the boxing movie mirrors the underdog narrative of the film itself. Farrelly also shared that he felt most relieved by Stallone’s own reaction, stating that no matter how audiences respond, he would have been deeply disappointed if Stallone disliked it, but that the action star ultimately loved the movie.

Critics Praise Ippolito for Capturing Stallone's Presence

The film previously made its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival last month, where it competed for the People’s Choice Award. Variety chief film critic Owen Gleiberman described the project as a cleverly crafted crowd-pleaser and praised Ippolito for capturing Stallone’s signature speech and physical presence without resorting to a mere impersonation. The Hollywood Reporter chief film critic David Rooney similarly noted out of Toronto that Ippolito anchors the film by nailing the rumbling diction, hangdog expression, and hulking physicality of Stallone while conveying his early career insecurities. Alongside Ippolito, the cast features AnnSophia Robb as Stallone’s wife Sasha Czack, Matt Dillon as his father Frank Stallone Sr., P.J. Byrne as producer Irwin Winkler, Jay Duplass as director John G. Avildsen, alongside Toby Kebbell, Tracy Letts, and Kiki Seto.

Theatrical Release Timeline

Audiences in the United States and the United Kingdom will be able to see the biographical drama on the big screen when I Play Rocky hits theaters on Nov. 6. The film arrives following its surprise festival appearance in London and its initial festival run in Toronto, setting up a broad commercial test for the production.

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