What happened
A new film called “I Play Rocky” recounts how Sylvester Stallone wrote and sold the screenplay for “Rocky,” then insisted on playing the lead role despite studio pressure to cast a bigger name. According to the review, Stallone accepted a substantial pay cut to keep the part, and United Artists agreed to produce the movie only on a very small budget.
The review says the tight budget and schedule forced director John G. Avildsen to shoot most scenes in a single take. The small crew also lacked permits for some Philadelphia locations and had to work around traffic and other variables. The financial constraints made the Steadicam a necessary tool, even though the early equipment was cumbersome and required an assistant to carry heavy batteries behind the camera operator.
Directed by Peter Farrelly, “I Play Rocky” stars Anthony Ippolito as a young Stallone. The review notes that Ippolito trained physically for the role and worked to capture Stallone’s walk and voice. It also mentions a brief early scene depicting a homeless Stallone appearing in a soft-porn film for money, which the review says is handled with restraint.
The original “Rocky” opened in a limited release in November 1976 and grew through word of mouth before winning best picture at the 1977 Academy Awards. It beat “Taxi Driver,” “Network,” and “All the President’s Men.” The review describes the victory as unexpected and says the film’s success helped establish Stallone’s career and later led to five direct sequels and the “Creed” spin-off franchise.
