Eric CharbonneauI Play Rocky celebrated its U.S. premiere at AFI FEST, bringing its cast and filmmakers together at Hollywood’s historic TCL Chinese Theatre.
Producer Christian Baha joined Academy Award-winning director Peter Farrelly and leading man Anthony Ippolito for the October 24 premiere. AnnaSophia Robb, Stephan James, Kiki Seto and Matt Dillon were also in attendance.
The film also struck a chord with the audience, drawing enthusiastic applause during the screening. At the end, it was celebrated with a standing ovation.
Following the screening, Farrelly, screenwriter Peter Gamble and members of the cast took the stage for a Q&A about bringing Sylvester Stallone’s extraordinary story to the screen: the story of an unknown actor who staked everything on playing the lead in his own screenplay. Winkler brought not only historical perspective but also a rare opportunity to connect a firsthand account of the original film’s creation with its new cinematic interpretation. The audience responded with numerous questions and another round of applause.
After festival appearances in Toronto, Zurich and Rome, the premiere brought the film to Hollywood — fifty years after the original Rocky made cinema history.
