A movie about the origin of "Rocky" in the works

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A movie about the origin of "Rocky" in the works

Writer: Heidi Hsia

Sylvester Stallone brought Rocky to the big screen

9 May - A movie about the origin of "Rocky" is set to be produced by former Warner Bros Pictures Group chairman, Toby Emmerich.

Titled, "I Play Rocky", the movie will revolve around how Sylvester Stallone came out with the idea of the movie "Rocky" and stood his ground when it comes to the casting of the titular role.

The movie blurb read, "A struggling actor with a partially paralyzed face and a speech impediment writes a script that a big movie studio wants to buy, but he refuses to sell it unless he gets to play the lead. Turning down an offer of life-changing money, he instead works for pennies to get the movie made with himself in the starring role. The movie becomes the biggest box office hit of 1976, notching 10 Oscar nominations and winning Best Picture. The true story of the making of the iconic movie Rocky."

Stallone as Rocky with his Soviet opponent Ivan Drago, played by Dolph Lundgren in the fourth "Rocky" film

The actors decades later

It is noted that Peter Farrelly ("Green Book", "There's Something About Mary") has been hired to helm the project.

Said Emmerich, "I've been a fan of Peter Farrelly as both a filmmaker and a person since getting to work with him on the music for Dumb and Dumber. But it was Green Book that made me think of Pete for this inspiring screenplay."

"Christian Baha and I feel blessed to have Pete at the helm for this movie. And like the unknown Stallone starring in Rocky, Pete will be conducting a worldwide search to discover another actor who just needs one shot - in I Play Rocky - to show the world what he can do," he added.