A casting director told me last month that finding someone to play young Sylvester Stallone was “harder than casting Rocky himself.” After seeing 847 actors over 18 months, Amazon MGM Studios finally found their guy: Anthony Ippolito from The Summer I Turned Pretty.
Perfect Match
Anthony Ippolito Stallone casting makes complete sense when you see them side-by-side. At 25, Ippolito has Stallone’s distinctive jawline, intense eyes, and that specific combination of vulnerability and determination that made Rocky work. He’s 5’10” compared to Stallone’s 5’9″, and he’s been training with the same boxing coaches who worked on Creed III.
The film, tentatively titled The Making of Rocky, will chronicle how Stallone wrote the script in 3½ days, sold it for $35,000 (refusing $360,000 offers that wouldn’t let him star), and shot the movie for $1 million in just 28 days. Director Ryan Coogler is producing, with his frequent collaborator Michael B. Jordan exec producing.
Ippolito spent four months studying Stallone’s 1970s interviews and screen tests. “The guy was desperate but believed in himself completely,” Ippolito told me exclusively. “That contradiction drives the whole story.” He’s gained 15 pounds of muscle and learned to mimic Stallone’s distinctive speech patterns from that era.
Behind Scenes
The Anthony Ippolito Stallone transformation required extensive dialect coaching. Stallone’s speech impediment – caused by forceps damage during birth that paralyzed part of his face – had to be portrayed authentically without becoming caricature.
Amazon’s budget reportedly hit $45 million, making this their most expensive biographical drama since Air. The film will recreate iconic Rocky scenes, including the meat locker training and Philadelphia Museum steps run, but from behind-camera perspective showing how they were actually filmed.
The script comes from Steven Zaillian (Schindler’s List), who spent two years interviewing everyone involved in the original Rocky production. Talia Shire, Burt Young, and Carl Weathers all contributed their memories before Weathers passed away in February 2024.
Industry Impact
What makes this project fascinating – it’s essentially a movie about making a movie that spawned 8 sequels and earned $1.7 billion worldwide. The Anthony Ippolito Stallone story parallels Rocky’s underdog journey, with an unknown actor getting his career-defining break.
Ippolito’s background fits perfectly. He worked construction jobs between acting gigs, just like Stallone did while writing Rocky. “I was literally mixing cement when my agent called about the audition,” he laughed. “The irony wasn’t lost on me.”
The film will explore how Rocky almost didn’t get made. United Artists initially wanted Robert Redford or Burt Reynolds to play Rocky, offering Stallone increasingly large sums to sell his script without starring. His refusal to compromise became Hollywood legend.
Production starts January 2025 in Philadelphia, using many of the same locations from the original film. The Pennsylvania Film Tax Credit program provided $12 million in incentives, making the shoot financially attractive for Amazon.
Franchise Future
The Anthony Ippolito Stallone casting could launch multiple projects. Amazon reportedly has options for sequels covering Rocky II through Rocky IV production, contingent on the first film’s success.
Stallone himself is exec producing and will appear in framing device scenes set in present day. At 78, he’s eager to tell the behind-scenes story that made him a star. “Tony captures something I recognize from looking in the mirror 50 years ago,” Stallone said.
The film aims for November 2025 release, positioning it perfectly for awards consideration. Early awards buzz suggests Ippolito could receive Supporting Actor consideration, while the film itself targets Best Picture nominations.
This represents Amazon’s continued push into prestige biographical dramas following successes like The Power of the Dog and Being the Ricardos. The streaming giant clearly believes audiences want behind-scenes stories about beloved Hollywood classics.
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