Anthony Ippolito, who plays a young Sylvester Stallone in Peter Farrelly's biopic *I Play Rocky*, has described conversations with Stallone himself as "very overwhelming and daunting" ahead of filming. The film, revealed at the Toronto International Film Festival, dramatises the troubled production of the 1976 boxing classic *Rocky*, which went on to win three Oscars, including best picture, and became one of the most successful sports film franchises ever.

Ippolito said he spent over a year studying Stallone before their conversation, during which the actor shared details of his difficult childhood, including facial paralysis caused by a nerve injury during birth that later shaped his distinctive voice and look. Farrelly added that Stallone faced resistance from the studio, which reportedly tried to sideline him from playing the lead role he had written himself. Stallone has since watched the finished film and given it his approval, according to Farrelly. *I Play Rocky* is set for a limited release on 13 November before opening nationwide on 20 November.