Buoyed by a strong box office turn domestically coupled with Sylvester Stallone’s Golden Globes win for Best Supporting Actor, MGM is now more keen than ever to set boxing sequel Creed 2 in motion, with Variety reporting that the studio is now eyeing a tentative November 2017 release date for the follow-up.
One major sticking point is that such a quick turnaround for the next chapter in Adonis’ story may scupper plans for director Ryan Coogler to return in the director’s chair, now that Marvel has officially instated him at the helm of the much-anticipated Black Panther standalone feature – itself due for a release in early 2018.
It’s a clash that Stallone himself has acknowledged quite recently, with the Italian Stallion stating that “there’s a diminishing time acceptance of a sequel. Three years is a little much.” And though it’s yet to be officially confirmed by MGM, if and when Coogler bows out it’s likely that the eye-catching filmmaker will remain on board as executive producer, possibly educating the inevitable newcomer on the fine art of capturing an intense boxing match for the screen.
And that brings us to the pitch for Creed 2. With Michael B. Jordan all but a lock to reprise his role as the son of Apollo Creed, early reports suggest that the creative team are looking to adopt a template similar in style to The Godfather 2, hopping between the rise of Adonis and the potential fall of Carl Weathers’ patriotic brawler.
“Ryan has some ideas of going forward and backward and actually seeing Rocky and Apollo together,” Stallone revealed. “Think of The Godfather 2. That’s what he was thinking of, which was kind of ambitious.” Stallone said he’d recently bumped into Weathers, who looked like he was still in good shape. “I can’t believe I got in the ring with him,” he says. “Even if it was play fighting.”
Black Panther may be gobbling up Ryan Coogler’s attention ahead of its bow on February 16, 2018, though MGM has now planted the flag for Creed 2 to debut in November of 2017. But who will pick up the mantle to direct?