Rocky is getting ready to return to the ring. The film has now officially found its young Sly in Anthony Ippolito, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed, who has form for playing cinematic heavyweights as they shoot legendary movies after appearing as Al Pacino in the 2022 The Godfather making-of series, The Offer. Producers quickly came on board after reading it, but didn’t want the then-unknown Sly playing the lead, wanting instead to cast a bigger name. Stallone persevered, refusing to sell the script unless he could star in it too. They eventually relented, and Rocky has since become one of the most iconic franchises in movie history, earning over $1.7 billion at the global box office across six Rocky films and three Michael B Jordan-starring Creed instalments.