Stallone's own story is the real Rocky tale, says 'I Play Rocky' director

Peter Farrelly, the director of "I Play Rocky," told the red carpet at the Toronto International Film Festival that the film's subject is not the fictional boxer but the man who created him. The movie, which premiered on Saturday, dramatises how Sylvester Stallone fought to bring "Rocky" to the screen.

"The Rocky story is actually a true story. Rocky is fiction, but Stallone's story is the Rocky story," Farrelly said. He described the film's central message as a refusal to quit or be bought out, adding that Stallone held firm when others chased money.

Before "Rocky" made him a star, Stallone was an obscure actor. He wrote the screenplay and insisted on playing the lead himself, turning down studios that wanted another actor in the part. The 1976 release became a cultural phenomenon, earning ten Academy Award nominations and winning three.

Farrelly said he hopes the film will reach both existing fans of the Philadelphia boxer and younger audiences who know little about Stallone's early struggles. Anthony Ippolito takes on the role of Stallone, capturing his distinctive voice and build while recreating the famous scene on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Asked whether Stallone had seen the finished film, Farrelly said the 80-year-old watched it by himself. "It was nerve-wracking because he saw it alone. And this is a great movie with a crowd. I didn't know how he was going to take it," Farrelly said. "But he loved it. Thank god."

Amazon's MGM Studios will release the film in the United States, with Elevation Pictures handling distribution in Canada.