Ahead of the release of the movie I Play Rocky, which depicts filmmaker and actor Sylvester Stallone‘s journey making the now-iconic boxing flick, he spoke about his feelings on the project.

He spoke to 92NY (via the Hollywood Reporter) about his new memoir, The Steps. Stallone conceded that he was initially “kind of mixed” on the project, explaining, “I'm going, ‘I'm not dead yet. Aren't we jumping the gun a little bit?'”

However, seeing Anthony Ippolito play him changed his opinion. Stallone recalled seeing a video of Ippolito playing him, and even he was fooled by his impression.

“I actually thought it was me the first moment; there were a couple of angles,” Stallone said. “I go to my daughter and say, ‘That's unbelievable.'”

Is Sylvester Stallone involved in the I Play Rocky movie?

During the same interview, Stallone emphasized that he wasn't involved in I Play Rocky. He said that he has “nothing to do” with it, but he will be enjoying it.

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He did, however, extend an olive branch to Ippolito, telling him, “If you want any questions, here I am.” It doesn't sound like they needed him, though, as Stallone said, “But they did it all on their own.”

I Play Rocky is a new movie about Stallone's journey making Rocky, which was made on a micro budget but launched an iconic franchise. It even won Best Picture at the Oscars.

Ippolito plays Stallone in the new movie, which premiered at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), landing a People's Choice Award nomination. It will open in theaters on Nov. 6, 2026, before receiving a wide release two weeks later on Nov. 20.

Previously, Ippolito played Al Pacino in Paramount+'s The Offer, which was about the making of The Godfather. Outside of playing iconic actors, Ippolito has starred in Pixels, Purple Hearts, and Grand Army.