Anthony Ippolito, best known for portraying Al Pacino in Paramount’s limited series The Offer, has landed the role of a lifetime: playing a young Sylvester Stallone in the upcoming biopic I Play Rocky.

The film, produced by Amazon MGM and directed by Peter Farrelly (Green Book), will chronicle Stallone’s relentless journey to bring Rocky to life. The true story follows an unknown actor who believed he was destined to both write and star in the now-iconic boxing drama—despite being told “no” at every turn. Stallone refused to sell his script without playing Rocky Balboa himself, ultimately creating one of the greatest underdog stories in cinema history.

In a real-life echo of that determination, Ippolito reportedly pursued the role with similar grit, submitting an unsolicited audition tape directly to the producers, which secured him the part.

The script comes from Peter Gamble, with Toby Emmerich and Christian Baha producing.

The original Rocky (1976) became a cultural phenomenon, winning the Oscar for Best Picture and launching a billion-dollar franchise that includes the modern Creed spin-offs. I Play Rocky aims to bring audiences behind the scenes of that legendary Hollywood gamble.

Amazon MGM plans a theatrical release, with a premiere date yet to be announced.