Hollywood has a new heavyweight — and his name is Anthony Ippolito.

I Play Rocky hits theaters Friday, November 6, and the breakout star is already earning “a star is born” praise for his turn as a young Sylvester Stallone.

The stars hit the red carpet at the film’s New York City premiere on Wednesday evening, November 4, at the SVA Theatre, with Ippolito joined by co-stars AnnaSophia Robb, Stephan James, Matt Dillon, PJ Byrne, Toby Kebbell and Tracy Letts, along with director Peter Farrelly.

Anthony Ippolito at TIFF 2026. Photo by Gabriel Hutchinson.

I Play Rocky tells the true story of unknown actor Stallone betting everything on himself to write — and star in — Rocky. It’s the ultimate underdog story behind the ultimate underdog movie.

The film is directed by Peter Farrelly and written by Peter Gamble. It comes from Amazon MGM Studios and arrives in theaters Friday, November 6 — just in time for opening weekend.

The buzz started last month, when the film premiered at TIFF 2026 and drew strong reviews. Variety declared: “Make no mistake: a star is born. Ippolito delivers the kind of breakout that turns a working actor into a name overnight, anchoring one of the truest underdog stories the business has ever told.”

USA Today added that “the huge crowd response from the premiere audience is a good sign that I Play Rocky, like its namesake, could be an Oscar contender.”

Ippolito is no stranger to playing a Hollywood legend: he previously played Al Pacino in Paramount+’s The Offer (2022) and starred in Netflix’s Grand Army.

Now, he’s stepping into the shoes of Stallone himself — and if the premiere-night reaction is any indication, Rocky fans are in for a knockout. See I Play Rocky in theaters Friday.

Sources: Just Jared and MovieMaker.