“Green Book” director Peter Farrelly will take audiences behind-the-scenes on the unlikely and tumultuous production of “Rocky,” the boxing drama that catapulted Sylvester Stallone into stardom.
“I Play Rocky,” the upcoming film, will follow Stallone long before his action hero days. Here, he’s a struggling actor whose partially paralyzed face and a speech impediment hasn’t left him in demand by Hollywood. But betting on his talent, Stallone writes a hot script that a big movie studio wants to buy. However, he refuses to sell it unless he gets to play the lead. Turning down an offer of life-changing money, he instead works for a pittance in order to get the movie made with himself as the title character. The result is the biggest box office hit of 1976, as well as an Academy Award juggernaut that went on to win best picture.
Farrelly will produce the film with Toby Emmerich, the former Warner Bros. film chief, and Christian Baha. Peter Gamble (“Office Uprising”) penned the screenplay. Casting is underway. FilmNation Entertainment will handle international sales and CAA Media Finance will oversee U.S. sales, which will launch at Cannes.
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In addition to “Green Book,” Farrelly’s credits include “There’s Something About Mary,” “Dumb and Dumber” and “The Greatest Beer Run Ever.”
“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,’” Emmerich said. “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.”
“When I first read Peter Gamble’s energetic and poignant script, I knew it captured something very special,” Baha said. “The story of ‘I Play Rocky’ is as unique as Sylvester Stallone himself, a seeming Everyman with an undeniable gift who needs to share it with the world and refuses to take “no” for an answer. And like the hero of our film, Baha Productions needed grit and determination as we fought for years to make this project into a reality. We are so fortunate to have teamed up with Toby Emmerich and Peter Farrelly, two legendary talents who not only share but enhance our vision of the film.”
