What “I Play Rocky” is about

By William Goodeve
movies.MXDWN.com
10/09/2026

I studied cinema and economics at USC/USF. I worked in several jobs and internships in entertainment. I did work at a production company, a literary agency, and an entertainment news site. I also worked at theaters and theme parks.

I have visited Pennsylvania many times. “Rocky” was filmed there. They have a statue in Philadelphia. I have seen many of the Rocky films. “Rocky” won the Academy Award for best picture in 1977. Also the director John G Alvidsen won best director at the Oscars. The prequel “Creed” franchise is also good. There is going to be a new film called “I Play Rocky” about Sylvester Stallone making the original movie. In this article I will discuss the Rocky and Creed films, what they are about, and also what the new film, “I Play Rocky,” will cover.

“Rocky”

“A small-time Philadelphia boxer gets a supremely rare chance to fight the world heavyweight champion in a bout in which he strives to go the distance for his self-respect.” (IMDb) There is a film franchise about Rocky Balboa. He is a fictional boxer who liked a woman named Adrian and fought a boxer named Apollo Creed. There are 6 films in the Rocky Franchise, besides the Creed films. There is a good song in this film called “Gonna Fly Now.” In the second film there is a rematch against Apollo Creed. In the third film, Creed trains him. In the fourth film Rocky fights a soviet boxer. In the fifth film, Rocky trains a protege named Tommy Gunn. In the sixth film, Rocky was working in restaurants but went back to boxing to fight the heavyweight champion. The films are good, the first one is my favorite. I like the scenes where he is training.

“Creed”

“The former World Heavyweight Champion Rocky Balboa serves as a trainer and mentor to Adonis Johnson, the son of his late friend and former rival Apollo Creed.” (IMDb) There is a Creed film trilogy starring Michael B Jordan. Ryan Coogler, who directed “Black Panther”, also directed some of the “Creed” films. Some of these movies take place in Pennsylvania and some take place in England and California. Ludwig Goranson did the soundtrack for “Creed”, he also did the soundtrack for “Black Panther”, “Tenet”, and “Oppenheimer”. In the second film, Adonis Creed fights the son of the soviet boxer. In the third film Adonis Creed fights a childhood friend.
Sylvester Stallone is in some of the films, but he isn’t in “Creed III”.

“I Play Rocky”

“Sylvester Stallone, then a failing actor, writes the ultimate underdog story and must fight for his chance to play the role of a lifetime – Rocky Balboa.” (IMDb) This film is going to be about the making of the film “Rocky”. Anthony Ippolito will play Sylvester Stallone. The director is Peter Farrelly who produced “Green Book,” which won best picture at the Oscars. Sylvester Stallone said he didn’t know the movie “I Play Rocky!” was being made until after he read about a production of the film in the news. He did encourage the staff on making the film though.

“Set in 1974 New York City, the film follows a broke, struggling Sylvester Stallone who writes the script for Rocky in just three and a half days after witnessing the Ali-Wepner fight. Despite facing heavy studio resistance and turning down lucrative offers up to $350,000 for the manuscript, Stallone stubbornly insisted on playing the lead role himself. This ultimatum forced producers to slash the budget to $1 million, resulting in a swift, union-free shoot in Philadelphia that ultimately created a defining piece of cinematic history.” (Google)

Films about Filmmaking

There have been other films about the making of movies. “Mank” was about the making of “Citizen Kane”, and was nominated for best picture at the Academy Awards. There are some other films I enjoy about filmmaking such as “Hugo” about the director George Melies, “Saving Mr Banks” about Walt Disney, and “The Fabelmans” about Steven Spielberg. Some other good films about acting are “Singing in the Rain”, “The Artist”, and “Sunset Blvd”.

Films about Pennsylvania

If you want to see more content about Pennsylvania there is a good movie called “The Perks of being a Wallflower” that was filmed in Pittsburgh. There is also a funny TV show called “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”, that I would recommend. Philly, where “Rocky” was filmed, is very historic. The Declaration of Independence was signed there. Also there is an Ivy League school there called The University of Pennsylvania.

Films about Boxing

I also like a boxing film called “Raging Bull”. That I would recommend. I saw a WWE tournament once in Florida. There are some other good movies about fighting such as “Million Dollar Baby”, “The Fighter” and “Iron Claw”. If you enjoy learning about boxing, a famous fighter is Muhammed Ali, there is a movie about him called “Ali”. There is another famous boxer called Mike Tyson, there is a film about him called “Tyson”.

The movie will be released on November 20 2026. I look forward to seeing this new film. I am a fan of the “Rocky” franchise. I think the Rocky and Creed films are great, also this new “I Play Rocky” film should be superb. I would recommend this film series.

Here is the trailer:

Citations
IMDb: Ratings, Reviews, and Where to Watch the Best Movies & TV Shows, www.imdb.com/. Accessed 1 Sept. 2026.
Creed (2015) ⭐ 7.6 | Action, Drama, Sport, www.imdb.com/title/tt3076658/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_5_nm_3_in_0_q_creed. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.
Rocky (1976) ⭐ 8.1 | Drama, Sport, www.imdb.com/title/tt0075148/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_7_nm_1_in_0_q_rocky. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.
I Play Rocky (2026) | Biography, Drama, www.imdb.com/title/tt11995650/. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.
Google Search, share.google/aimode/pcUXsSO7yG12AzXd3. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.