Sylvester Stallone’s documentary “Sly” will close the 48th annual Toronto International Film Festival. The movie will have its world premiere on Sept. 16 at Roy Thomson Hall.
“Stallone’s story is one of perseverance, triumph, and his indelible mark left on the world of film, and we couldn’t be more honoured to share it with our audiences as our closing night film,” said Cameron Bailey, TIFF CEO. “Celebrating the legacy of a true icon, ‘Sly’ takes audiences on an intimate journey through the life of Stallone, a cultural touchstone whose impact on cinema spans nearly half a century. Sly offers an unexpected and heartfelt exploration of the man behind the action megastar.”
Directed by Thom Zimny (“Springsteen on Broadway,” “Elvis Presley: The Searcher”), “Sly” is described as an “intimate and unexpected look” at the early life of the action star, as well as a reflection on his decade-spanning career.
The documentary will chronicle Stallone’s rough beginnings as a troubled kid in New York City, who would distract himself from the outside world by writing movie scripts. His career exploded when “Rocky,” a role he created and had to fight to play, catapulted him to a new level of fame.
Along with the hugely successful “Rocky” franchise, Stallone gained international prominence with the “Rambo” series, “Demolition Man,” “The Expendables” and the “Rocky” spinoff “Creed,” which earned the actor an Oscar nomination in 2016. He currently stars in the Paramount+ series “Tulsa King,” which was renewed for a second season.
The film is produced by Sean Stuart, and executive produced by Braden Aftergood, Bill Zanker, Sam Delcanto, Jon Beyer, Tom Forman, Jenny Daly, and Stallone. Netflix is releasing “Sly” in November.
Director Hayao Miyazaki’s animated fantasy epic “The Boy and the Heron” will open the festival on Sept. 7. As previously announced, Taika Waititi’s sports-centric “Next Goal Wins,” Alexander Payne’s comedy “The Holdovers,” Kore-eda Hirokazu’s tear-jerker “Monster” and Justine Triet’s Palme d’Or winner “Anatomy of a Fall” are among the festival lineup.