Just like it’s impossible to hear “Eye of the Tiger” and not envision a montage of Rocky training in both city streets and dimly-lit boxing gym, it’s hard to hear the name Michael B. Jordan and not picture his character from 2015’s Creed. The spin-off movie to the Rocky franchise arrived somewhat quietly, the underdog of the Hollywood film canon which suddenly became a major contender thanks to dynamic performances from Jordan and Sylvester Stallone alike, as well as it’s storyline and scripting.
If you’re unfamiliar with the first Creed, the film brought Rocky back to the screen – only this time, it wasn’t in the form of a reboot, but rather a spin-off which saw him serve as a mentor to former foe Apollo Creed’s son, played by Jordan. The film went back to the roots of what made Rocky such a successful franchise, one grounded in the relentless pursuit of excellence, sacrifice, and this idea of chosen family. The success of the first film birthed a sequel, which opened to a staggering $55 million USD at the box office. It’s hardly surprising then, that Creed has become the next big franchise, and now audiences are finally getting a taste of what to expect in Creed III.
The next instalment will see Jordan lend his hand as director, making his directorial debut with the third entry into the multimillion-dollar series. Speaking about the daunting task of directing, Jordan explained: “Having a character that I’ve played twice before, it’s been seven or eight years living with this guy; I’m able to tell the story of where I believe Adonis is at.”
“At 35 years old, I had a lot to say as a young Black man, through my life experiences and how I could share a piece of myself with the world through these characters and the tory. I just felt like it was the right time.”
Here’s everything we know about the film so far.
What is the plot of Creed III about?
Set a few years after the sequel, Creed III will see Jordan return as Adonis “Donnie” Creed. When a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy by the name of Anderson Dame (played by Jonathan Majors) turns up out of the blue, things take an unexpected turn.
At a press conference, Jordan spoke about the movie’s key themes: “Family is always core, family and heart. There’s a bit of having to face your past and find out who you really are, which we address in this movie. It’s also a homecoming, about remembering where you come from and settling debts. Being accountable for your actions is something that we wanted to look at as well.”
He added, “This movie has a lot of me in it and hopefully a lot of other people as well. I wanted to create a story where everybody felt like they could relate to something in this movie.”
Is there a trailer for Creed III?
A trailer for the upcoming film just dropped. Watch it below.
When will Creed III be released?
Creed III is set to premiere in cinemas on March 3, 2023.
