Quiet on set and all eyes in the ring! Time to take the gloves off, the press pass out, and recap the I, PLAY ROCKY Global Hybrid Press Conference!
I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with the cast and creative team behind an inspiring movie that shares insight into the creation of the iconic film Rocky.
I was able to enjoy the perspectives and insights from Peter Farrelly (Director), Anthony Ippolito (Sylvester Stallone), AnnaSophia Robb (Sasha Czack), Kiki Seto (Talia Shine), Stephan James (Carl Weathers), P.J. Byrne (Irwin Winkler), Jay Duplass (John G. Avildsen), Matt Dillon (Frank Stallone Jr.), Peter Gamble (Screenwriter), and Christian Baha (Producer). They all echoed familiar thoughts I had while watching the film.
“The message is, listen to what’s in your heart and don’t sell out.”
-Peter Farrelly — Director
While watching the film, and reinforced during the press conference, I see how Boxing has transformed my perspective. I enjoyed hearing insight from Peter Gamble and Stephen James about the trust required to perform boxing choreography and the vulnerability of sharing your personal writing with an audience.
Trust is the key word, and I loved how they talked about the time they spent training at Gleason’s Gym with a boxing trainer. Hearing James describe the boxing scenes as choreography or dancing with another person has always been my connection to the sport. The biggest advice I always receive is to “dance with bag.” It takes an enormous amount of trust in yourself and your partner to put on a good show as both a performer and a fighter.
“Any time you’re doing something that feels like it’s so intimate, there’s a level of, you know, choreo, a level of dancing you’re doing with somebody.”
-Stephan James — Carl Weathers
Then they all reinforced the community and support aspect of success. There would be no Sylvester Stallone without Sasha Czack. And I agree, AnnaSophia Robb is the heartbeat of this film. Her performance is phenomenal, and she made me root for Sylvester and become invested in his success.
“I think to tell a story about how many people it takes to bring a dream to life, I just think it’s a really fabulous representation.”
AnnaSophia Robb — Sasha Czack
The press conference left me with a similar feeling as the film: success is a team sport, and community matters as much as believing in yourself. The ones around you can fill gaps you don’t realize you’ve been minimizing or undervaluing.
I hope everyone goes to witness a vision come to life in I, Play Rocky in theaters Friday, November 6, 2026.
“If you do the work, right? And you surround yourself with like-minded people that believe in you, truly anything is possible, and I think we need to know that today.”
P.J. Byrne — Irwin Winkler
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