Sylvester Stallone's Verdict on I Play Rocky Revealed by Director

Published Sep 14, 2026, 9:00 AM EDT

Matthew Thomas is a celebrity entertainment and trending news journalist. Passionate about the media. He developed a love for storytelling that he loves to share with others through his writing. Matthew has been able to cover a variety of subjects he is very passionate about, including movies, TV shows, comics, and wrestling.

Experience:

Matthew brings more than a decade of experience writing about pop culture, movies, TV shows, wrestling, comic books, true crime, weather conditions, safety tips, taxes, wildlife, archaeology, music, and trending news. He is also an experienced interviewer with a strong track record of speaking with high-profile talent and subject-matter experts.

He has conducted high-profile interviews with major actors, including Matt Damon, Matthew McConaughey, Jason Sudeikis, Jon Hamm, Alan Ritchson, Rob McElhenney, Danny Trejo, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Joshua Jackson, Damon Wayans, and John C. McGinley. He has also interviewed several prominent TV personalities, including Howie Mandel, Ted Lasso star Phil Dunster, Happy’s Place star Rex Linn, the cast of Stuart Saves the Universe, and acclaimed series creators Bill Lawrence and Chuck Lorre. As a versatile entertainment journalist, he has also interviewed notable musicians such as Travis Barker and Nick Jonas.

Additionally, Matthew has interviewed reality show contestants from hit series like Survivor, Big Brother, and The Traitors. To round out his extensive portfolio, he has interviewed subject-matter experts on taxes, public safety, and winter weather conditions.

Sylvester Stallone's verdict on I Play Rocky has been revealed by the biopic's director.

I Play Rocky has already been garnering positive reviews and has earned a solid Rotten Tomatoes score. While reactions from critics can play a pivotal role in whether a movie succeeds, the team behind this project must have been especially interested in how the film's subject would react to it.

While speaking to Entertainment Weekly, I Play Rocky's director, Peter Farrelly, described how Stallone reacted to the film. In addition to admitting why he was nervous to get the movie star's review, Farrelly detailed that Stallone "loved it." Check out Farrelly's comments below:

"He loved it. I was a little nervous, to be honest, because he was watching it alone at his house. And this movie, if you watch it with a crowd, you feel it, and I didn’t know how he would respond. But he called right after."

During the same interview, Farrelly explained why he'd previously sought Stallone's approval during the process of making I Play Rocky. Before he agreed to even make the film, the director asked the iconic Rocky actor to approve the biopic's script. Even though he noted that he wouldn't have made the biopic without that blessing, Farrelly said it was "very easy" to overcome that potential stumbling block due to the strength of the writing.

"It’s a great script, but I knew going in — I told Toby Emmerich, the producer — I said, 'I want to do this movie, but I’m not doing it unless Stallone signs off on it.' So he read it. We sat down, and I told him to his face, 'I’m not doing it unless you love it and want us to do it.' He said, 'I want you to do it.' I said, 'Great. Let’s go.' It was pretty simple. But the script is so darn good. It really is amazing. I knew he was gonna like it."

Farrelly's description of how Stallone reacted to I Play Rocky wasn't the first indication that the movie star is supporting the new film. He had previously posted the trailer for the biopic on Instagram in July. Additionally, Stallone's Instagram post included a caption expressing his excitement for I Play Rocky and congratulating the team behind it. "Every story has a beginning, and I’m excited to see this one brought to life. Congratulations to the cast and crew of I Play Rocky. Keep punching."

Often regarded as the best sports movie of all time, 1976's Rocky is such a beloved film that the story behind how it was made has been much talked about for decades. Still, the inspiring story behind how Stallone turned down a fortune to bet on himself had only ever been told during interviews. Now, I Play Rocky has brought the story to life onscreen for the first time.

The biopic stars Anthony Ippolito as Sylvester Stallone, AnnaSophia Robb as his wife, and Matt Dillon as his father. It also features Toby Kebbell, P. J. Byrne, Stephan James, Jay Duplass, Robert Morgan, and Tracy Letts in supporting roles. In addition to the film depicting a young Stallone, it will also feature actors portraying other beloved actors from the Rocky franchise, including Carl Weathers, Talia Shire, Burgess Meredith, and Burt Young. The film's director, Farrelly, has previously helmed movies like Green Book, Dumb and Dumber, Kingpin, and There's Something About Mary.

I Play Rocky will have a limited release on November 6, before being screened nationwide on November 20.