Michael B. Jordan’s Adonis Creed faces off against Jonathan Majors’ Damian Anderson in ‘Creed III’. This movie also serves as Michael B. Jordan’s directorial debut who has been starring in the sports franchise since 2015.
Following the events of 2018’s ‘Creed II’, Adonis “Donnie” Creed is considering retirement as the undisputed Heavy Weight Champion of the World when his childhood friend and former boxing prodigy Damian “Dame” Anderson comes back into his life, throwing everything into disarray. The film puts the two former friends at odds and Donnie will have to fight in the most emotional match yet.
“After dominating the boxing world, Adonis Creed has been thriving in both his career and family life. When a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy, Damien Anderson, resurfaces after serving a long sentence in prison, he is eager to prove that he deserves his shot in the ring. The face-off between former friends is more than just a fight. To settle the score, Adonis must put his future on the line to battle Damien – a fighter who has nothing to lose.”
‘Creed III’ opened to $58.3 million domestially, $22 million more than ‘Creed II’. It is certified Tomatoe-meter fresh with a 89% score from critics and 96% from audience. The third installment has grossed $272 million worldwide since it’s release.
Helming a popular franchise such as ‘Creed’ is no easy task, yet Michael B. Jordan took on the challenge of being both the lead of the film and stepping behind the camera to direct. The star’s impressive resume and dedication shows as the film balances its action, heart, and humor extremely well.
Jordan kept the tone from the the previous ‘Creed’ films such as the action and redemption arc while adding his own flavor like utilizing slow-motion in the ring. This helped emphasis each punch and by using it sparingly, it didn’t make it feel like a gimmick. Jordan’s love of anime can also be seen in his directorial style. The actor has spoken about his love for animes such as ‘Naruto’, ‘Dragonball Z’, and ‘One Piece’, and using it as a visual reference for some of the fight scenes.
Cinematographer Kramer Morgenthau light the actors in such a unique and abstract way for the final match, using colors like red and green to emphasis what they’re feeling as they made their walk toward the ring. Morgenthau worked with Crafty Apes, the VFX team, to map out the final moments and by using a motion-control camera, the fight was immersive and distinctive.
With a stellar box office and reception, a “Creed-verse” may not be too far off. According to Deadline, Jordan has met with Amazon to explore other ‘Creed’ related projects. No details are confirmed but there are talks of spin-off projects such as an anime series, live-action TV series, and even a story centered on Donnie’s daughter Amara, played by deaf actress Mila Davis-Kent. A spin-off movie based on Rocky’s nemesis Ivan Drago and his son Viktor Drago has also been announced. The possibility is endless when it comes to the Creed/Rocky universe, which is quite exciting for fans of the franchise.
Where Is Rocky?
(L to R) Sylvester Stallone and Michael B. Jordan in ‘Creed II.’
One thing that was mising from ‘Creed III’ was Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa. Although Rocky has constantly been in Donnie’s corner in each movie, this is the first film in the ‘Creed’ saga to not feature the character. They do mention his name once during the film but Rocky’s whereabouts was not clear, so what happened?
Although Stallone created the characters in the original ‘Rocky’, he sold the rights to producer Irwin Winkler and MGM in order to have the first film made, therefore he has no real say in the future of the franchise. Stallone did not agree with the direction Winkler wanted to take with the franchise, and felt it was too dark.
We don’t know whether Stallone will return to the franchise, but his absence was definitely noticeable as someone who had been a mentor for Donnie since the first ‘Creed’ film.
The film premiered in Mexico City on February 9, 2023 and released theatrically in the United States on March 3, 2023. It is the third film in the ‘Creed’ franchise and the 19th film in the ‘Rocky’ saga. ‘Creed III’ has a total runtime of 1 hour and 56 minutes. You can still experience the boxing action-drama in theaters. Be sure to check below for showtimes in your area.
Watch the official trailers for ‘Creed III’ below:
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Prefer to watch experience the movie from your home? You’re in luck. ‘Creed III’ is now available to rent or purchase digitally on the Amazon streaming service, Prime Video as of April 1, 2023.
Having pummeled the competition at the box office this past weekend, with a $58 million opening weekend and $110 million globally after less than a week on release, ‘Creed III’ has certainly confirmed that the sports franchise that grew from the ‘Rocky’ movies is alive, well and punching above its weight (the third movie, in fact, earned more in three days than its two predecessors did across five-day holiday launches).
So when Michael B. Jordan told Deadline last week that he’s “excited” about building a universe around boxer Adonis Creed, his family, friends and colleagues, it certainly sounds like we’re getting closer to that becoming a reality.
It’s still early days on all of this, and neither Jordan, MGM nor Amazon (which owns MGM) are officially commenting, but word is that we could see an anime series based on the ‘Creed’ movies that would allow the team to tell more stories set in his world.
And, following on from ‘Creed III’, there is also talk of a show based around Adonis and Bianca (Tessa Thompson)’s daughter Amara, as played by deaf actress Mila Davis-Kent in the movie. What exactly that might be remains to be seen –– whether it follows her now or perhaps even in her adult life.
There’s also mention of a live-action series, but again, that’s still nebulous at this point.
There hasn’t been much word of it for now, though we’re sure Amazon would want Lundgren back on screens.
(L to R) Sylvester Stallone and Michael B. Jordan in ‘Creed II.’
Will Sylvester Stallone be involved in the spin-offs?
Any new ‘Creed’ Development appears unlikely to feature involvement from Sylvester Stallone, who let’s not forget, is the progenitor and star of the entire ‘Rocky’ film franchise, without which there would be no ‘Creed’ in the first place.
Sly has been outspoken in his dissatisfaction with the lack of reciprocity when it comes to rights between himself and producer Irwin Winkler. The producer refused to hand the rights back to Stallone and the actor/writer has cut ties with the franchise.
And Sly’s issues extend to not even watching ‘Creed III’, in which he does not appear as Rocky. “You can’t make peace with someone who’s been so, so nefarious, in my opinion,” he told Jessica Shaw on Sirius XM.
Which means we’re unlikely to see ‘Rocky & Friends’ as one of the big new offerings from the Creed-verse. Though if the success of the latest movie has proved, Adonis Creed’s world has moved on from Rocky.
‘Creed III’ is produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Chartoff-Winkler Productions, Outlier Society Productions, Proximity Media, and Balboa Productions, and is scheduled for release on March 3rd.
While it is 1976’s Academy Award winning ‘Rocky‘ that is now considered the gold standard in boxing movies, there have been many great ones over the years including Martin Scorsese‘s ‘Raging Bull,’ the Oscar-winning Muhammad Ali documentary ‘When We Were Kings,’ as well as the biopic ‘Ali‘ starring Will Smith.
Not to mention the long running ‘Rocky’ franchise which has produced six ‘Rocky’ movies and three ‘Creed‘ spinoffs, including the latest, ‘Creed III,’ which is the first movie in the series to not feature Sylvester Stallone, but was directed by star Michael B. Jordan and opens in theaters on March 3rd.
In honor of ‘Creed III’s release, Moviefone is counting down the 20 best boxing movies of all time, including ‘Creed III.’
His Wife (Talia Shire) is dead and his Son (Milo Ventimiglia) hates him but this old man still has fight in him! When he loses a highly publicized virtual boxing match to ex-champ Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), reigning heavyweight titleholder Mason Dixon (Antonio Tarver) retaliates by challenging Rocky to a nationally televised, 10-round exhibition bout. To the surprise of his son and friends, Rocky agrees to come out of retirement and face an opponent who’s faster, stronger, and thirty years his junior.
A pair of aging boxing rivals (Sylvester Stallone and Robert De Niro) are coaxed out of retirement to fight one final bout — 30 years after their last match.
The more you love, the harder you fight. The world looks at Billy Flynn (Jon Voight) and sees a has-been who seemingly never was, an ex-boxing champion slammed to the mat years ago by booze and gambling. But Billy’s son TJ (Ricky Schroder) sees what the world doesn’t. He knows what his flawed but loving father is, was and always will be – The Champ.
The inspirational story of World Champion Boxer Vinny Pazienza (Miles Teller), who after a near fatal car crash, which left him not knowing if he’d ever walk again, made one of sports most incredible comebacks.
After Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) goes the distance with champ Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), both try to put the fight behind them and move on. Rocky settles down with Adrian (Talia Shire) but can’t put his life together outside the ring, while Creed seeks a rematch to restore his reputation. Soon enough, the “Master of Disaster” and the “Italian Stallion” are set on a collision course for a climactic battle that is brutal and unforgettable.
Despondent over a painful estrangement from his daughter, trainer Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) isn’t prepared for boxer Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) to enter his life. But Maggie’s determined to go pro and to convince Dunn and his cohort to help her.
Charlie Kenton (Hugh Jackman) is a washed-up fighter who retired from the ring when robots took over the sport. After his robot is trashed, he reluctantly teams up with his estranged son (Dakota Goyo) to rebuild and train an unlikely contender.
The true story of boxer Jim Braddock (Russell Crowe) who, in the 1920s following his retirement, makes a surprise comeback in order to get him and his family out of a socially poor state.
Between personal obligations and training for his next big fight against an opponent with ties to his family’s past, Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) is up against the challenge of his life.
Nineteen-year-old Danny Flynn (Daniel Day-Lewis) is imprisoned for his involvement with the I.R.A. in Belfast. He leaves behind his family and his sixteen-year-old girlfriend, Maggie Hamill (Emily Watson). Fourteen years later, Danny is released from prison and returns to his old working class neighborhood to resume his life as a boxer.
In 1964, a brash, new pro boxer, fresh from his Olympic gold medal victory, explodes onto the scene: Cassius Clay (Will Smith). Bold and outspoken, he cuts an entirely new image for African Americans in sport with his proud public self-confidence and his unapologetic belief that he is the greatest boxer of all time. Yet at the top of his game, both Ali’s personal and professional lives face the ultimate test.
Now the world champion, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) is living in luxury and only fighting opponents who pose no threat to him in the ring, until Clubber Lang (Mr. T) challenges him to a bout. After taking a pounding from Lang, the humbled champ turns to former bitter rival Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) for a rematch with Lang.
After dominating the boxing world, Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) has been thriving in both his career and family life. When a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy, Damien Anderson (Jonathan Majors), resurfaces after serving a long sentence in prison, he is eager to prove that he deserves his shot in the ring. The face-off between former friends is more than just a fight. To settle the score, Adonis must put his future on the line to battle Damien – a fighter who has nothing to lose.
Boxer “Irish” Micky Ward’s (Mark Wahlberg) unlikely road to the world light welterweight title. His ‘Rocky’-like rise was shepherded by half-brother Dicky (Christian Bale), a boxer-turned-trainer who rebounded in life after nearly being KO’d by drugs and crime.
Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) proudly holds the world heavyweight boxing championship, but a new challenger has stepped forward: Drago (Dolph Lundgren), a six-foot-four, 261-pound fighter who has the backing of the Soviet Union.
Billy “The Great” Hope (Jake Gyllenhaal), the reigning junior middleweight boxing champion, has an impressive career, a loving wife (Rachel McAdams) and daughter (Oona Laurence), and a lavish lifestyle. However, when tragedy strikes, Billy hits rock bottom, losing his family, his house and his manager. He soon finds an unlikely savior in Tick Willis (Forest Whitaker), a former fighter who trains the city’s toughest amateur boxers. With his future on the line, Hope fights to reclaim the trust of those he loves the most.
The former World Heavyweight Champion Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) serves as a trainer and mentor to Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan), the son of his late friend and former rival Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers).
It’s 1974. Muhammad Ali is 32 and thought by many to be past his prime. George Foreman is ten years younger and the heavyweight champion of the world. Promoter Don King wants to make a name for himself and offers both fighters five million dollars apiece to fight one another, and when they accept, King has only to come up with the money. He finds a willing backer in Mobutu Sese Suko, the dictator of Zaire, and the “Rumble in the Jungle” is set, including a musical festival featuring some of America’s top black performers, like James Brown and B.B. King.
When world heavyweight boxing champion, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) wants to give an unknown fighter a shot at the title as a publicity stunt, his handlers choose palooka Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), an uneducated collector for a Philadelphia loan shark. Rocky teams up with trainer Mickey Goldmill (Burgess Meredith) to make the most of this once in a lifetime break.
‘Creed III‘ will open in theaters on March 3rd and is the third film in the ‘Creed’ series, the ninth movie set in the ‘Rocky’ universe, and the first film directed by actor Michael B. Jordan.
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What is ‘Creed III’ about?
‘Creed III’ follows the events of 2018’s ‘Creed II,‘ and features Adonis “Donnie” Creed (Michael B. Jordan) ready to retire from professional boxing as the undisputed Heavy Weight Champion of the World. But when Donnie’s childhood friend and former boxing prodigy, Damian “Dame” Anderson (Jonathan Majors), resurfaces after serving a long prison sentence, he asks Donnie for help returning to the ring and winning the championship. But once Anderson is champion, he turns on Donnie personally and publicly, forcing Creed back into the ring to fight his former friend, facing an opponent he’s never fought before – a fighter who has nothing to lose!
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with actor and director Michael B. Jordan and actor Jonathan Majors about their work on ‘Creed III,’ what viewers need to know to prepare for this film, the deep relationship between Donnie and Dame, and Jordan’s work behind the camera.
You can read our full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Jordan, Majors, and actress Tessa Thompson.
Moviefone: To begin with, what would each of you say to viewers sitting down to watch this movie to prepare them for the film experience they are about to have?
Michael B. Jordan: I mean, just have an open mind and an open heart, and buckle up because it’s a ride. Once we get started, I’ll see you in two hours and I’ll check in on you on how you feel.
Jonathan Majors: There’s no way to prepare yourself for ‘Creed III.’ You got to come in with your dukes up. Doesn’t matter, it’s a knockout. Bob and weave, come with an open heart, and come with an open mind. These are familiar characters being looked at in a very different way. You’re going to see Adonis Creed in a very unique way that’s going to give you even more insight to the hero, primarily because of the introduction of Damian Anderson, his long lost friend. You’re in for a wild fight. Flex them up!
Michael B. Jordan directs and stars as Adonis Creed in ‘Creed III.’
MF: Michael, can you talk about your vision for this film, particularly the fight sequences, and as a director, what it was like working with your cast and crew to execute that?
MBJ: I mean, as far as the boxing sequences for me, it’s probably the part of the story that I’ve daydreamed and thought about the most over the past eight years. When you’re involved in a process and you think about boxing and fights, there’s certain things that you’re curious about wanting to try, and obviously they don’t make it to every movie. So I’ve been kind of compiling a list of things that I’ve always wanted to kind of try, and then also trying to make this one feel fresh and different.
So leaning on my love of Japanese anime and the spirit of that, and how I can make things feel different, and pitching that to my cast and my crew. Getting everybody on the same visual reference point of what kind of film we’re making, and what type of creative swings that we would be taking and just going out and just doing it. It’s like you got to go for it. So I think my love of anime definitely helped me creatively and artistically take some creative swings.
Jonathan Majors stars as Damian Anderson in ‘Creed III.’
MF: Jonathan, what was it like working with Michael, both as a scene partner and as a director?
JM: It was incredible. It was an experience as an actor, I’ve not had, and I don’t see it coming down the pipeline again. Where you have an actor that’s going to lead his own franchise as an actor and then also direct it. That’s just not something that people are driven to do. I mean, that seems quite difficult. It is difficult. I watched him deal with that difficulty with grace, elegance, confidence and conviction.
Because of that, we have the picture we have, and he gave a hell of a performance. So I got to witness it and it was a team effort, the building of Dame and the making of this film. But he was a leader throughout and he really orchestrated every day, even in the chaos, he was there and present, boots on the ground, gloves on to help us craft a story. So I can’t imagine, I don’t think anybody else could have directed the film, even if Mike was in it, and have the same outcome. I think this outcome is quite beneficial to cinema and to audiences.
MF: Finally, one of the taglines of the film is, “How do you fight a fighter with nothing to lose?” But I think it really should be, “How do you fight a fighter who knows you better than you know yourself?” Can you talk about the personal history between Dame and Donnie, and why that makes Anderson such a dangerous opponent for Creed?
MBJ: Well, I feel like the people that know you the most could hurt you the worst. So I think it’s one of those things where I really wanted to go back to Adonis’s childhood and make this an origin story of sorts, and a sequel and a trilogy all in one. And it’s also a origin story for Dame as well.
So I think to be able to go back there and go through that childhood trauma, and really understand Adonis’s first relationship, his first friendship, his first heartbreak, his first betrayal, just when he first get inspired, who taught him how to fight, who protected him, and all those things that make up the man that he is today, that we know him as. Then we pick up in present day and we have a little bit more context of who he is.
But then also you have to address your past in order to really move forward and become the best version of yourself. So we wanted to see Adonis struggle with that, and struggle to talk about his past, and struggle to talk about how he feels about certain things, and see what that does to the people that are around him, his loved ones. How does that affect them? How does that affect him? Then to see him pull it out and actually rise to the mountaintop, I thought was truly inspiring.
JM: Yeah, it’s a familiar trope, isn’t it? But it’s probably the most real and the most dangerous. When you fight someone that knows you better than you know yourself, the only way to win is to grow and to engender something new in yourself. That’s very interesting.
Dame is literally the fellow who taught Adonis how to fight, and how to throw those punches. Yes, he is from the Creed stock, he is the son of a champion, but that champion was not there to teach him how to use the tools that he was given, endowed with by birth. Dame is the one who teaches him how to exercise his birth right. So there’s a social and an emotional debt that someone has to overcome.
So it transcends this idea of, “Oh, I know you physically. I know you socially and emotionally.” So I mean, that’s why we have our picture. Dame represents that in such a strong way that it really is a David vs. Goliath story on multiple levels. Adonis has to overcome that. And in the overcoming of it, he grows.
‘Creed III’ is produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Chartoff-Winkler Productions, Outlier Society Productions, Proximity Media, and Balboa Productions, and is scheduled for release on March 3rd.
Opening in theaters on March 3rd is the third film in the ‘Creed’ series and the ninth movie set in the ‘Rocky’ universe entitled ‘Creed III,’ which also marks the directorial debut of Adonis “Donnie” Creed actor Michael B. Jordan.
What is ‘Creed III’ about?
Following the events of 2018’s ‘Creed II,’ Adonis “Donnie” Creed (Michael B. Jordan) is about to retire as the undisputed Heavy Weight Champion of the World. But when Creed’s childhood friend and former boxing prodigy, Damian “Dame” Anderson (Jonathan Majors), resurfaces after serving a long sentence in prison, he asks Donnie for help getting back into boxing, as he is determined to win the championship. Eventually, Donnie is forced back into the ring to fight his former friend, facing an opponent he’s never fought before – a fighter who has nothing to lose!
In his third outing as Adonis Creed, Michael B. Jordan gives another strong and dedicated performance but it is his work behind the camera that is truly impressive, while Jonathan Majors steals every scene he is in with his menacing and electrifying performance as Damian Anderson.
Michael B. Jordan is one of the best actors of his generation and has demonstrated this in moving independent features like ‘Fruitvale Station,’ and strong blockbusters like ‘Black Panther’ and ‘Creed.’ Returning for his third time as Adonis “Donnie” Creed, and first time without Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa (more on that later), Jordan gives a mature performance proving that the character has grown since the last we saw him.
This is an older Donnie, a successful professional athlete on the verge of retirement looking forward to spending more time with his aging mother, musician wife, and deaf daughter. But Donnie is haunted by his childhood living in an orphanage, before his father’s widow adopted him, and the dark secrets he has been hiding for most of his life. Once Damian returns, it stirs up these old feelings in Donnie, which Dame brilliantly uses to his advantage.
It seems as if Jordan is channeling some of himself into the role, as the megastar actor can relate to being financially successful, and the problems that comes with that level of success. But as Donnie, he also wants to protect his family and their future from the sins of his past. Donnie is not a lost boy anymore, as he was depicted in the first ‘Creed,’ he is now a man and a champion, and that comes shining through Jordan’s performance.
Jordan also has an extremely impressive directorial debut with ‘Creed III.’ Jordan balances the film’s tones of fighting for survival and redemption quite well, and even injects some humor into the film. Jordan clearly has learned a lot about filmmaking from his years on sets and from watching his mentor and collaborator director Ryan Coogler on ‘Fruitvale Station,’ ‘Creed’ and ‘Black Panther.’
While Jordan handles the emotions and drama of ‘Creed III’ very well, he also makes the fight scenes interesting, moving the camera around the ring with the fighters and using slow-motion sparingly but effectively. However, there is one choice Jordan made as a director that I completely disagree with and it actually took me out of the movie for a second. It’s a scene that comes towards the end of the film’s final fight sequence, so I will be careful not to give too much away. But Jordan makes a directorial choice to inject the fight with visual metaphors that hurt the reality of the fight scene itself, and for me, took the viewer completely out of the moment. I get what Jordan was going for, but I just don’t think it worked.
(L to R) Sylvester Stallone as Robert “Rocky” Balboa and Michael B. Jordan as Adonis “Donnie” Creed in director Ryan Coogler’s ‘Creed.’
‘Creed III’ marks the first film in the trilogy to not also feature Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa character. The trilogy is clearly a spinoff of the ‘Rocky’ franchise, and while the character is mentioned once or twice in passing, Balboa’s whereabouts and why he is no longer in Donnie’s corner are never revealed.
Jordan and the other filmmakers do a good job of creating a ‘Rocky’ movie without Rocky, and while it is still in the vein of the previous films in the franchise, they go out of their way to make it different from the other movies in the series. The “Theme from Rocky” or “Gonna Fly Now,” as it is better known, is barely used, if at all, and has been modified so you can barely hear it in the background.
There is also a moment where you can tell the filmmakers wanted to step away from what you would expect from a ‘Rocky’ movie. In the inevitable training montage, Donnie runs to the top of a hill overlooking the Los Angeles skyline. This would seem to be the perfect moment to have the theme start playing and for Donnie to pump his fists in the air, recreating the iconic moment on the Philadelphia Museum of Art stairs from the original ‘Rocky,’ which has been duplicated in almost every ‘Rocky’ movie since. But Jordan avoids that moment, like so many other typical ‘Rocky’ moments that the film ignores, which really places the movie into its own chapter of the ‘Rocky’ story.
But honestly, the real reason Rocky does not appear in ‘Creed III’ is more complicated. While Sylvester Stallone did create the characters in the ‘Rocky’ franchise and the original screenplay, he sold the rights to producer Irwin Winkler and MGM decades ago to get the first movie made, and thus has no real say in the future of the franchise. Apparently, Stallone did not agree with the direction Winkler, Jordan and ‘Creed’ director Ryan Coogler, who is given story credit on this movie, wanted to take the future of the franchise. Whether Stallone will ever play Balboa again on the big screen is yet to be known, but the actor does not appear in ‘Creed III’ and the character is barely mentioned.
I understand the circumstance, and think it was probably best to continue the Creed story without Rocky, however, I would have liked a little more explanation as to why the character doesn’t appear, and why he is no longer in Donnie’s corner. In fact, Rocky is only really mentioned in passing as “that guy your dad fought,” and the other ‘Creed’ movies certainly established a close if not father/son relationship between Rocky and Donnie. So, it is weird that there is no character update in ‘Creed III’ regarding Rocky or why he is no longer Donnie’s trainer, and it seems that a simple line of dialogue or two could have fixed that issue.
To be accurate, Adonis begins the film with a rematch against his opponent from ‘Creed II,’ Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu). But it is his old friend Damian “Dame” Anderson (Jonathan Majors) that is Donnie’s main opponent in ‘Creed III,’ both in the ring and out. Anderson is Donnie’s oldest friend, who has just been released from prison, something Donnie blames himself for.
At first, Damian asks Donnie for help training, as he is determined to win the championship, despite his age and lack of experience as a professional boxer. Donnie agrees, but bumps heads with Damian, who clearly has a chip on his shoulder. Donnie eventually helps Damian become champ, but it’s not enough for Dame, and he goes after Donnie and his family personally and publicly in order to convince Donnie to get back into the ring so he can show the world he is the better fighter and have payback for what happened between them in the past.
After fantastic performances in last year’s ‘Devotion’ and ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,’ which hit theaters last week, ‘Creed III’ is poised to cement Jonathan Majors reputation as one of the finest actors working today. Majors gives an absolutely stunning and menacing performance as Damian Anderson, and at times, even out shines Jordan himself. Majors plays Damian as a brooding and calculating character, one who knows just how to push his old friend’s buttons perfectly to get the desired reaction. Damian is a real threat to Donnie, in the ring and out, but their former friendship is what keeps the dynamic fresh and interesting.
Majors is also in top physical shape for this movie, lending to his threat to Donnie, making the idea of Creed winning their fight impossible, which adds to the film’s suspense. In the world of ‘Rocky’ movies, I would put Damian Anderson right up there with Mr. T’s Clubber Lang from ‘Rocky III,’ and of course Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) from ‘Rocky IV,’ as the strongest opponents in this franchise.
Besides Majors and Jordan, the strongest performance in the movie comes from Tessa Thompson as Donnie’s wife Bianca Taylor, and the actress has really made this character her own. Even from the first ‘Creed,’ Thompson has taken the role and elevated her from the “sideline support” that Adrian (Talia Shire) gave Rocky in the original. Bianca has always had her own storyline, whether it is concentrating on her music career, or dealing with her progressive degenerative hearing disorder.
In the new film, she is a mother of a deaf child, the wife of a boxing champ, and also a successful music producer. Thompson plays the role of supporting wife well, but is at her best in scenes dealing with her family, the secrets that Donnie has been keeping from her, or her reluctance to except Damian as a friend. Thompson elevates the role, and over three films, has created a fully formed character that you can really relate to.
Phylicia Rashad also returns as Donnie’s adopted mother Mary Anne Creed, the widow of Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers). The actress is given a little more to do this time around, as Donnie’s childhood plays into the main story with Damian. Wood Harris also reprises his role from the other ‘Creed’ movies as Tony “Little Duke” Evers Jr., who is Donnie’s trainer and the son of Apollo Creed’s trainer. Harris is fine in the role, but again, it is strange to look in Donnie’s corner and not see Rocky!
Final Thoughts
In the end, while ‘Creed III’ does exist in the ‘Rocky’ universe, it is completely its own film. This is Adonis “Donnie” Creed’s story, and a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. Star Michael B. Jordan gives another strong performance as the character and also gives an impressive directorial debut, while Jonathan Majors continues to dazzle in another remarkable and transformative performance.
‘Creed III’ is produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Chartoff-Winkler Productions, Outlier Society Productions, Proximity Media, and Balboa Productions, and is scheduled for release on March 3rd.
With ‘Creed III’ arriving next month, star (and, on this occasion, director) Michael B. Jordan is being asked about the future of the boxing movies that feature him as Adonis “Donnie” Creed, the son of the late Apollo (Carl Weathers in the ‘Rocky’ movies).
Talking with IGN about ‘Creed III’, Jordan didn’t expand much on his ideas, but did say that he intends to stick with the ‘Creed’ franchise. Answering questions about a potential fourth movie, he said it was “for sure”.
And, as with every popular movie from a studio these days, it appears there will be spin-offs of some fashion. “I just want to expand the ‘Creed’-verse within reason, but definitely expect other things around ‘Creed’ for sure.”
It’s just the latest step for the ever-expanding spin-off from the ‘Rocky’ movies, though the ‘Creed’ films are moving away from Sylvester Stallone’s veteran boxer.
Through 2015’s ‘Creed’ (directed by Ryan Coogler) and 2018’s ‘Creed II’ (with Steven Caple Jr. in the director’s chair), Donnie has battled his demons, fought powerful opponents in the ring and tried to forge a family life with Bianca (Tessa Thompson) and their daughter, who has inherited her mother’s hearing difficulties.
‘Creed III’ moves the story forward a few years but also back several, as the story sees Donnie reconnecting with old friend and prodigy Damian Anderson (Jonathan Majors), who went to prison, and resents that Adonis did not (as he was involved in the incident).
Out of Jail and quietly burning with vengeance, Anderson threatens Donnie – and Adonis decides to face him in the place he knows best – the ring. And without Rocky in his life for this round, this time, the fight is truly personal.
And it’s even more personal for the man in front of the camera – who steps behind it for the first time. Michael B. Jordan, who has played Adonis since the first film, is also here the director.
“I think for me it was the perfect time,” says Jordan.. “I finally got to this place in my career where I wanted to tell a story and not just be in front of the camera, not just execute somebody else’s vision. And having a character that I’ve played twice before, it’s been seven, eight years living with this guy. So to be able to tell a story of where I believe Adonis is at, and also at 35 years old, I had a lot to say as a young man, as a young Black man, just my life experiences and how I could actually share that, share a piece of myself with the world––through these characters and through this story. You just gotta jump in the deep end and go for it, you know?”
‘Creed III’ will be in theaters on March 3rd.
Michael B. Jordan in ‘Creed III.’
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This is less breaking news and more “I must break you” news.
Given how successful the two ‘Creed’ movies – which continue the story of the ‘Rocky’ films while focusing on Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan), the son of Apollo Creed, as so memorably played by Carl Weathers in the 1970s and ‘80s – it’s not surprising that studio MGM might be considering spin-offs.
Word arrives today that just such an idea, a movie based around Dolph Lundgren’s Ivan Drago, is moving to the script stage.
Drago, of course, was the hulking Russian antagonist in 1985’s ‘Rocky IV,’ (who kills Apollo Creed, the fiend). Continuing the family theme, his son Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu) was the threat to Adonis in 2018’s ‘Creed II’.
Lundgren himself acted as hype man for a Drago movie back in November last year when talking to The Hollywood Reporter. After admitting his disappointment that a fan-pleasing fight with Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa hit the cutting room floor from ‘Creed II’, he teased seeing more of Drago: “I think there’s some talk about doing a whole spinoff on Drago with MGM. So you may get more of that.”
According to The Wrap, Robert Lawton is now on board to write the script for the new movie. He reportedly impressed executives with his spec screenplay ‘Becoming Rocky’ which chronicled the behind-the-scenes efforts to make the 1976 original.
(L to R) Michael B. Jordan and Florian Munteanu in 2018’s ‘Creed II.’
And he had an idea for a Drago-centric movie that excited MGM’s team enough to score him the job. No details have emerged about what that story might be, but there is plenty of scope for more of Drago and potentially Viktor’s story to be told.
Now we wait to see whether the bell rings on this one and if a director steps aboard to guide it out of the development dressing room.
There is related, and not so good news about the next iteration of the main ‘Creed’ franchise, though chances are it’s more to give the movie time to be finished.
Star Jordan – who once again leads the cast as Adonis – stepped up to direct this latest movie, but while it was targeting a November 23rd release date until recently, it is now on the move to March 3rd next year.
And this ‘Creed’ will be without possibly its heaviest hitter besides Jordan, as this is the first in the new series not to include Stallone.
Still, ‘Creed III’ still boasts Tessa Thompson reprising her role as Donnie’s girlfriend Bianca and Phylicia Rashad is returning as his stepmother Mary Anne in its corner.
(L to R) Sylvester Stallone and Dolph Lundgren in 1985’s ‘Rocky IV.’
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Tom Cruise plays Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ from Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.
According to Wikipedia, a legacy sequel is a movie that follows the continuity of the original movie, but takes place further along the timeline, often focusing on new characters with the original ones still present in the plot.
With ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ and ‘Jurassic World Dominion’ currently killing it at the box office, now is a good time to countdown the top ten best legacy sequels ever made.
New CIA operative Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner) experiences life-or-death stakes that have been triggered by the previous actions of Jason Bourne (Matt Damon).
Jamie Lee Curtis returns to her iconic role as Laurie Strode, who comes to her final confrontation with Michael Myers (James Jude Courtney), the masked figure who has haunted her since she narrowly escaped his killing spree on Halloween night four decades ago.
Former pool hustler “Fast Eddie” Felson (Paul Newman) decides he wants to return to the game by taking a pupil. He meets talented but green Vincent Lauria (Tom Cruise) and proposes a partnership. As they tour pool halls, Eddie teaches Vincent the tricks of scamming, but he eventually grows frustrated with Vincent’s showboat antics, leading to an argument and a falling-out. Eddie takes up playing again and soon crosses paths with Vincent as an opponent.
The brash James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) tries to live up to his father’s (Chris Hemsworth) legacy with Mr. Spock (Zachary Quinto) keeping him in check as a vengeful Romulan (Eric Bana) from the future creates black holes to destroy the Federation one planet at a time, seeking revenge against a future version of Ambassador Spock (Leonard Nimoy).
The former World Heavyweight Champion Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) serves as a trainer and mentor to Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan), the son of his late friend and former rival Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers).
Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), the tech-savvy and daring son of Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), investigates his father’s disappearance and is pulled into The Grid. With the help of a mysterious program named Quorra (Olivia Wilde), Sam quests to stop evil dictator Clu (also Jeff Bridges) from crossing into the real world.
Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K (Ryan Gosling), unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what’s left of society into chaos. K’s discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years.
After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him.
When he finds himself training a detachment of TOPGUN graduates for a specialized mission the likes of which no living pilot has ever seen, Maverick encounters Lt. Bradley Bradshaw (Miles Teller), call sign: “Rooster,” the son of Maverick’s late friend and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Nick Bradshaw, aka “Goose.”
Facing an uncertain future and confronting the ghosts of his past, Maverick is drawn into a confrontation with his own deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who will be chosen to fly it.
After six “Rocky” films, “Creed” was a remarkable triumph — what seemed superfluous at best became essential.
The first “Creed” movie is not just a great entertainment, but it is also a catharsis for one character and a vivid introduction for another. Consequently, “Creed II” only needed to be a well-deserved victory lap for Michael B. Jordan, who rocketed to stardom as Adonis “Donnie” Creed, not to mention Sylvester Stallone, whose signature series passed to more than capable shepherds. But like its predecessor, this kinda-sorta double sequel (both to its immediate predecessor and to “Rocky IV”) wrestles with powerful issues, deepens the first film’s characterizations, and resolves lingering details in the franchise’s timelines with humanity and grace. “Creed II” elevates the literal and metaphorical challenges of following up improbable success to something meaningful and eventually transcendent of the formulas that it relies upon.
Following his bout with Ricky Conlan (Anthony Bellew) at the end of the first film, Donnie has spent his subsequent time in the ring proving that he can trade blows with the best in the boxing world, culminating in a decisive victory over Danny “Stuntman” Wheeler (Andre Ward) that makes him heavyweight champion of the world. But when ambitious promoter Buddy Marcelle (Russell Hornsby) approaches him with an offer to fight Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu) — son of Ivan Drago, the man who killed Apollo Creed 30 years ago — Donnie jumps at the opportunity to avenge his father and burnish his own reputation in the ring.
MGM/WB
Rocky (Stallone) discourages Donnie from facing an unproven fighter who’s been weaned on Ivan’s festering bitterness and anger, and who seems determined to exact as much pain as possible upon the protégé of the man who defeated his father. But when Donnie learns that Bianca (Tessa Thompson) is pregnant with their daughter, and should history repeat itself — a defeat might deprive the newborn of knowing her father — he is forced to contemplate not just whether or not he can win, but why it matters for him to fight in the first place.
Even as the film falls into the sometimes predictable rhythms of the series — triumphant victories giving way to devastating defeats, and vice versa — writers Sylvester Stallone and Juel Taylor showcase what seems like a very real feeling for competitors at the top of their game, and Donnie feels unfocused and perhaps appropriately decentralized in his own story. He is less a person than a character in a narrative that the world is determined to control — a narrative that loves nothing more than perfect parallel lines between generations as one yields for the next to secure its own legacy. In the first half of Donnie’s journey, he seems to be doing what he thinks he’s supposed to, or is afraid not to — a realistic and understandable course of action for a kid who, by the end of the first film, had only begun to discover himself, much less his febrile talents.
But abject losses have a way of forcing reflection upon people who pursue excellence, and director Steven Caple Jr. harnesses these necessary, almost predetermined story beats and turns them into moments of searing introspection — and, eventually, powerful self-actualization. Jordan, proving again he has more than enough charisma and talent to be both a movie star and bona fide actor, returns to a character facing questions that undoubtedly hit close to home as he plots his next career move: Once you’ve earned success, how much is enough? And more vitally, what drives that pursuit? The young actor’s physical commitment to the role is readily visible, but it’s the overall sharpness of his performance, including moments of heartbreaking vulnerability, that elevate his journey from the son of Apollo Creed to his own man.
MGM/WB
Meanwhile, the movie gives all of its characters much to do, and feeds off of their interactions in an uncommonly generous way. Tessa Thompson exudes self-assurance and restless creativity as Bianca, Donnie’s ride-or-die partner and sounding board. Bianca is skeptical in the most empathetic ways of Donnie’s pursuits and ambitions, even as she refuses to sideline her own.
As Mary Anne, Apollo’s widow, Phylicia Rashad continues to feed her adoptive son unvarnished truth and unconditional love, often dispensing one when he thinks he needs the other. And even if Rocky has largely accomplished all that the character ever needs to on screen, Stallone undercuts his shaggy authority as Donnie’s pride and fear becomes an uncomfortable mirror for the failures Rocky has left unresolved for too long. He shows that armchair philosophers can still learn as well as they teach.
If the film falls short of its predecessor, it’s because the dramatic scenes are so good, and the journeys taken outside of the ring are so vivid, that the fights feel almost like an afterthought, or a concession to the demands of the series. Caple’s technique doesn’t quite feel as effortless or elegant as Ryan Coogler’s did on “Creed,” which may account both for the sequel’s over-modulated sound design — every punch lands with an ear-shattering thud — and its overuse of ringside commentators. (When the storytelling is otherwise this skillful, it feels unnecessary to have the stakes of the fight, including its “Shakespearean overtones,” repeatedly verbalized.)
But ultimately, Caple proves more than a worthy successor to Coogler (who returns as executive producer) in that he elevates and reshapes what could have been formulaic parallel story and character lines — fathers and sons, mothers and children, legacies secured and destroyed, and purposes questioned and found — into one converging, thrilling, deeply affecting narrative.
Because “Creed II” works wonderfully as a follow-up to the first “Creed” and the fourth “Rocky,” but the similarities to those earlier films are quite frankly the least of its charms. And like Adonis, what proves most remarkable is how successfully what could easily be dismissed as a lesser copy or pale imitation combats a suffocating legacy to prove it can, and should, stand on its own.
