Stephan James to play Carl Weathers in I Play Rocky
Deadline reports that Stephan James (If Beale Street Could Talk) will be stepping into the shoes of Carl Weathers in I Play Rocky for Amazon MGM Studios.
The project revolves around the making of Rocky, the 1976 movie that launched Sylvester Stallone’s career and went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. Anthony Ippolito (The Offer) is set to play Stallone in the movie. Peter Farrelly (Green Book) will direct from a script by Peter Gamble (Trenches).
The film “tells the true story of an unknown actor with an unshakable belief that he wasn’t just meant to write Rocky — he was meant to be Rocky Balboa. Told no at every turn, Stallone bets everything on himself, holding the line on playing the lead against seemingly impossible odds. The result is the ultimate underdog story behind the ultimate underdog movie.“
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Carl Weathers played Apollo Creed in Rocky, the heavyweight champion who faces off against the Italian Stallion. He returned for Rocky II, Rocky III, and Rocky IV, with the two characters eventually becoming friends. Sadly, Weathers died early last year.
In addition to If Beale Street Could Talk, James is also known for playing Jesse Owens in Race, a biopic which charted how the legendary athlete won a record-breaking four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games. He has also appeared in Selma, 21 Bridges, Night Always Comes, and played a leading role in Homecoming, the Prime Video thriller series starring Julia Roberts. He will next be seen starring alongside Alan Ritchson in War Machine, a sci-fi action flick coming to Netflix.
In a statement last year, producer Christian Baha said, “When I first read Peter Gamble’s energetic and poignant script, I knew it captured something very special. 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.“
Will Stephan James make a good Carl Weathers?
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