How Rocky's origin story became Amazon's franchise play

A film about Rocky's birth

I Play Rocky, directed by Peter Farrelly, follows Sylvester Stallone's push to write Rocky and his insistence on playing the title role himself. Anthony Ippolito plays Stallone in the film.

Rocky's fifty-year legacy

Rocky opened in November nineteen seventy-six, earned ten Academy Award nominations, and won three, including Best Picture. The nine films have grossed about one point nine billion dollars worldwide.

Amazon bought the franchise

Amazon agreed to pay eight point four five billion dollars for MGM, home to both Rocky and James Bond. The deal closed in twenty twenty-two, and MGM now sits inside Amazon MGM Studios.

Written without studio backing

Screenwriter Peter Gamble wrote I Play Rocky on spec.It landed on the Black List, then reached producers Christian Baha and Toby Emmerich and director Farrelly.In twenty twenty-four, they took it to Cannes seeking independent financing.

Why studios said no

Rival studios rejected the project because making a film about one studio's franchise would advertise that franchise. Gamble said studios feared the reward would go to someone else, not them.

“If we make this story, it's going to be advertising another studio's franchise.”

Amazon MGM stepped in

Amazon MGM signed on to distribute the film in twenty twenty-five, before cameras rolled. This cleared I Play Rocky to use Bill Conti's theme Gonna Fly Now and recreate exact shots from the original.

Wide release and new audiences

I Play Rocky opened on seven screens on November sixth and grossed about three hundred forty-five thousand dollars. It goes wide on November twentieth as Rocky enters its sixth decade.