A biopic of Sylvester Stallone titled "I Am Rocky" had its first screening at the Toronto International Film Festival on Saturday, September 12, and received a 76% approval rating from critics on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
Some film outlets, including Variety, have already floated the movie as a possible Oscar contender. According to those reports, the film drew strong applause after its screening and could be among the favorites to win the festival's audience-voted award.
Toronto Film Festival and the Rocky legacy
The Toronto International Film Festival is one of the industry's most closely watched fall showcases, and its audience-voted People's Choice Award has in past years gone on to align with eventual Best Picture winners at the Oscars.
"I Am Rocky" traces how Stallone began his acting career in the 1970s and went on to create one of cinema's biggest franchises, "Rocky." The series spans nine films in total, three of them part of the "Creed" spin-off line, which centers on the son of Stallone's on-screen rival and friend Apollo Creed.
What the film covers
According to the film's synopsis, after struggling to land a role that could launch his career, Stallone took the advice of his wife, Sasha, and decided to write his own script. Inspired by a Muhammad Ali fight he watched on television, he wrote the story that would change his life and caught the attention of major producers. The catch, the synopsis notes, was that he still had to convince them he was the right person to play the boxer on screen.
Cast and director
Anthony Ippolito, known for "The Offer," plays Stallone. The cast also includes Matt Dillon, of "Drugstore Cowboy," as Frank Stallone Sr., Stallone's father; AnnaSophia Robb, known for "Bridge to Terabithia," as Sasha Czack, Stallone's ex-wife; and Stephan James, of "If Beale Street Could Talk," as Carl Weathers, the actor who played Apollo Creed in the "Rocky" films.
The film is directed by Peter Farrelly, who won the Academy Award for Best Picture for "Green Book" in 2018.
Release date
"I Am Rocky" is set to open in Brazilian cinemas on November 19.
