The pupil becomes the master in the next instalment of the hard-hitting Creed saga. Star Michael B. Jordan will make his directorial debut on the upcoming Creed III while also reprising his role as pugilist Adonis Creed.
The underdog fighter was first established in 2015’s Creed, director Ryan Coogler’s hugely successful Rocky spin-off. Donny was established as the son of the late Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), rival turned best friend of Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone). A powerful new partnership was then formed, which carried over into 2018’s Creed II.
Deadline confirmed the news and revealed the following statement from studio MGM: "Michael’s vision for Creed III is incredibly exciting and will undoubtedly be an important contribution to the cannon of this storied franchise. We are thrilled to bring his directorial debut, and share this next chapter in the Creed story, to theatres next year."
Jordan stated: "Directing has always been an aspiration, but the timing had to be right. Creed III is that moment — a time in my life where I’ve grown more sure of who I am, holding agency in my own story, maturing personally, growing professionally, and learning from the greats like Ryan Coogler, most recently Denzel Washington, and other top tier directors I respect. All of which sets the table for this moment. This franchise and in particular the themes of Creed III are deeply personal to me. I look forward to sharing the next chapter of Adonis Creed’s story with the awesome responsibility of being its director and namesake."
Long-time Rocky producer Irvin Winkler (who in fact teased Jordan’s news a while ago) also expressed enthusiasm. "I cannot overstate how thrilled we are to have Michael directing the third film in the Creed series. His commitment to this character has been nothing short of extraordinary, and we know that will extend to his role behind the camera at the helm of this great new instalment."
It’s been revealed that Tessa Thompson will return as Donny’s partner Bianca. However, Stallone’s involvement is not yet confirmed. Coogler has delivered an outline of the script that has now been fleshed out by his brother, Keenan Coogler, and Zach Baylin.
Creed III is expected in US cinemas for Thanksgiving 2022 although an exact UK date is yet to be announced. Tweet us @Cineworld if you think Michael B. Jordan will deliver a knockout directorial punch.
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