The story of how Sylvester Stallone fought to star in his own script is off to a strong start in theaters. Peter Farrelly's I Play Rocky grossed $345,000 from seven screens in its opening weekend, a per-theater average of $49,200, TheWrap reported.
Amazon MGM Studios plans to expand the film nationwide on Nov. 20, ahead of Thanksgiving.
The making of 'Rocky'
Anthony Ippolito stars in the film, which follows how Stallone persuaded producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff to let him play Rocky Balboa rather than hand the role he wrote to an A-list star. Rocky went on to become the highest-grossing film of 1976 and won the Oscar for best picture.
Amazon MGM screened I Play Rocky for theater executives at the Cinema United fall meetings last month, and the film holds an 88% score on Rotten Tomatoes, according to TheWrap. Cup of Soul has covered the film since its festival run, including its slot as the London Film Festival's surprise film, with Stephan James as Carl Weathers, our review out of Toronto and our interview with Peter Farrelly.
It was a busy weekend for specialty releases. A24's Club Kid, from first-time feature director Jordan Firstman, earned $390,583 on six screens for a per-theater average of just over $65,000. Netflix's Spanish drama La Bola Negra expanded to 473 locations and added $975,000, bringing its total to just under $2.5 million, and Sony Pictures Classics' The Only Living Pickpocket in New York, starring John Turturro, is nearing $4 million after its third weekend.
In wider release, Fathom's Jimmy, a biopic of Jimmy Stewart starring K.J. Apa, made $1.5 million from 2,901 locations. Angel's Drummer Boy opened at No. 3 with $9.3 million, while Godzilla Minus Zero took the top spot.
