'I Play Rocky' Gets Standing Ovation at Toronto Premiere Amid Early Oscar Talk
The fight behind Rocky has become a crowd-pleaser in its own right. I Play Rocky, Peter Farrelly's film about the inspiration for and making of Rocky, had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 12 and drew mid-film applause followed by a lengthy standing ovation, according to analysis published Sept. 13 by The Hollywood Reporter.
Anthony Ippolito, the 27-year-old Long Island native who plays a young Sylvester Stallone, drew the warmest cheers at the Saturday screening, AP reported. Festival notes describe his performance as career-making, a billing listed on the film's TIFF page.
The script is by Peter Gamble, as The Hollywood Reporter reported in January. P.J. Byrne plays producer Irwin Winkler and Toby Kebbell plays producer Robert Chartoff. The real Winkler appears in a cameo. Chartoff, who produced the original Rocky, died in 2015.
Stallone himself was not directly involved in the new film. Ippolito said he spoke with Stallone before taking the role, and Farrelly said he later showed Stallone the finished film and that Stallone was pleased with it. Farrelly also gave Stallone a shout-out from the TIFF stage before the screening. Stallone turned 80 in July.
Amazon MGM is set to begin the United States rollout on Nov. 6. That date puts the film in the autumn corridor when studios release awards contenders before voting begins.
Early awards talk followed quickly. The Hollywood Reporter’s Toronto awards analysis states the film will probably earn a best picture nomination at the Oscars, if not a win, and will put Ippolito in contention in the best actor race. Toronto has launched winners before. Farrelly’s Green Book premiered at the festival, won the audience award and went on to win the best picture Oscar.
That audience award, the People’s Choice Award, is the festival’s highest honour, as Variety noted in its premiere coverage. Winners are decided by audience votes rather than a jury.
For audiences meeting this story fresh, the link is direct. The original Rocky was written by and starred Stallone and was directed by John G. Avildsen. It won the best picture Oscar over All the President's Men, Network and Taxi Driver.
