Quick summary
- I Play Rocky, the biopic about Sylvester Stallone‘s path to writing and starring in Rocky, has opened with a 97% Rotten Tomatoes audience score, according to ScreenRant.
- That tops the best-rated film in the franchise, Creed III, which sits at 95%.
- Critics rate it 88%, and the film is in limited release before going wide on 20 November.
- Lead actor Anthony Ippolito is being talked about as a possible Best Actor nominee.
I Play Rocky has started its theatrical run with a 97% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, the highest figure of any film in the Rocky franchise, ScreenRant reports. The film, directed by Peter Farrelly, tells the story of how Stallone’s own struggles as an actor fed into the 1976 original. It goes wide in the United States on 20 November.
How the score compares with the franchise
The 97% audience figure comes from more than 100 ratings so far, so it may move as more viewers weigh in. Even so, it already sits two points above Creed III, which ScreenRant lists as the franchise’s previous best audience result at 95%.
Critics are on board too. The film holds an 88% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, after drawing positive reviews at its premiere at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival.
For context, the franchise behind it is large. ScreenRant counts five sequels to the original Rocky and three Creed films, which makes a score at the top of that list a notable result for a film about the series’ own origins.
A performance that won over reviewers
Much of the praise, according to ScreenRant, goes to Ippolito, who plays the young Stallone. The outlet says he was lauded for capturing Stallone’s mannerisms and physical transformation.
Stallone himself has weighed in. Speaking to CBS Morning, he said he expected to be hypercritical of the portrayal, but found himself watching it like an ordinary viewer. He told the programme that he did walk and talk the way the film shows, and that Ippolito did a “magnificent job”. ScreenRant adds that Stallone was largely hands-off during production, though he did consult with the actor.
The cast also includes AnnaSophia Robb, Stephen James, P. J. Byrne, Toby Kebbell, Jay Duplass and Matt Dillon. Stills from the film show a scene with Carl Weathers, the late actor who played Apollo Creed in the original series. Peter Gamble wrote the screenplay.
Awards talk begins
The film has already collected some trophies. It was runner-up for the People’s Choice Award at TIFF, and Ippolito received the Breakthrough Award at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival, ScreenRant says.
The outlet suggests the film could become a dark horse as awards season opens, including a possible Best Actor nomination for Ippolito. That is the outlet’s view rather than an announcement from any awards body. For more on how the film may fare, see our look at why I Play Rocky faces an Oscar category fight.
Box office so far
The limited run has been small but promising. The film took $44,984 across just seven screens, according to ScreenRant, which says that figure is expected to climb ahead of the Thanksgiving weekend as the release widens.
What happens next
I Play Rocky is showing in limited theatres now and expands nationally from 20 November. The wide release will show whether the early audience enthusiasm holds as far larger crowds see it. Readers who want more on the actor’s career can browse our Movies coverage, including Stallone’s reflections on his 20-year rivalry with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Frequently asked questions
What is I Play Rocky about?
It is a biopic about Sylvester Stallone’s life as a struggling actor and how that experience inspired the original 1976 Rocky. Anthony Ippolito plays Stallone.
Who directed I Play Rocky?
Peter Farrelly directed it, from a screenplay by Peter Gamble.
When is I Play Rocky released?
It is playing in limited theatres now and goes wide in the United States on 20 November, according to ScreenRant.
What is its Rotten Tomatoes score?
It has 88% from critics and a 97% audience score based on more than 100 ratings, as of ScreenRant’s report.
