Sylvester Stallone is coming back to the movies. Put like this, in this way and in no uncertain terms, it seems that the popular Italian-American actor is really about to land on the big screen again with one of his iconic characters or, at the very least, with a new blockbuster with possible sky-high box office. In some ways we are not far from the truth, but not in a direct way.
Always directly returning to the big screen, however, will be precisely one of his characters who brought him fame and glory. Indeed, the character who, without much ado, represents in its essence a metaphor for life itself; understood, again, as the equally legendary fictional figure, the protagonist of the most famous cinematic sports saga on the big screen. We are talking about Rocky Balboa. So, then, will there have to be its creator and natural interpreter as well? Sylvester Stallone, indeed.
In truth, this will not be the case at all: the iconic boxer will return, but not Sly. In fact, yes, but it won’t be him. Perhaps someone who will play him in an undiscovered biopic whose anticipation was sparked in the second after the first announcement was made official, which was launched through the world’s media.
‘I play Rocky,’ is the title of the film to be directed by director Peter Farrelly. Then again, MGM Studios, the producer of this ambitious film project, is relying, it seems and what is circulating these days, not so much on the so-called ‘safe used’ when it comes to directing films, but if anything on a director who knows his stuff. For example, titles like ‘Dumb and Dumber,’ ‘All Crazy for Mary,’ all the way to that immense masterpiece dated 2018, ‘Green Book,’ which was awarded the statuette for Best Picture. So, already from this name, it is implied that it will not be a gimmicky or campy idea. At least hopefully.
Yet, not knowing the name of the person who will develop the screenplay, rumors that have been circulating about the biographical film indicate that it will focus entirely on a particular moment in the life of the Italian-American actor: namely, when he conceived the story that led him to win the Oscar and enter the myth and legend of cinema. Not surprisingly, the intention to make such a film does not happen by accident.
In fact, just this year marked, late last month, the 50th anniversary of the historic boxing match in which Cassius Clay entered the ring against an illustrious stranger: one Chuck Wepner, in what was supposed to be merely a petty match and which became, for all intents and purposes, a real war between the two until the last round.
The challenger managed to hold his own against the legendary boxing champion for all fifteen rounds, although he eventually had to capitulate. This detail matters little, because boxing history had already been written, unaware that an important window had opened for the big screen.
It was this very incident that on that same evening, March 25, 1975, inspired Stallone himself for what would be his next story to be written and developed. Up to that time, Sly was trying to survive and overcome many difficulties. Difficulties that should be, as said so far, the focus and the backbone of the very script of the biopic dedicated to him. Release date? Still hard to say and, of course, since it is still in development, it seems even more complicated to speculate on the time frame.
Although, perhaps one could try: November 2026, for the 50th anniversary of the very first legendary installment of the Rocky saga? We shall see.
The article I Play Rocky: the story of how the dual legend was born comes from TheNewyorker.
