Creed III lands this week, and we just can’t wait. The Rocky spinoff series has been hitting it out of the park since 2015, and we’re eager to catch up with Adonis and see him squaring off Jonathan Majors’ Damian “Dame” Andersen. There are a few important firsts for this third entry: Sylvester Stallone won’t be returning as Rocky Balboa (though he’s still an executive producer), and it marks Michael B. Jordan’s feature film debut as a director.
Ryan Coogler and Steven Caple Jr. left some big shoes to fill in that department, though the trailers indicate we’re in for another punishing and emotional boxing saga that won’t pull any punches. We Got This Covered attended the press conference for Creed III, where Jordan went into detail on what it’s like to step behind the camera and call the shots:
“I think there’s a little bit of that that you spend in your head. And I think something you start to realize is that it’s just showing up and being honest every day. Then slowly your style will start to shape itself. I can’t even tell you what it is right now. But now that the movie is done and finished with, I think that is a representation of just my truth. Things that compile things that I watch. Things that I like to look at. Things that move me in an emotional way, in a visual way.”
He went on to praise the film’s director of photography Kramer Morgenthau:
“With Kramer Morgenthau, it’s our third film that we’ve worked on together. We have a shorthand. He understands the vision that I’m trying to accomplish. And then there’s me taking swings. There’s some scenes, the shots in the movie that I’ve dreamt about. Literally, I’ve dreamt about. I’ve imagined, daydreamed in my head, and when you see it on screen, I’m like, “Oh, man.” The type of gratification you get out of that is crazy.”
Jordan is well-known as a big anime fan and has referenced Dragon Ball Z, Naruto, and My Hero Academia as inspirations for how he approached the fight scenes.
Early indications are that he’s succeeded. Creed III is currently sitting at a 90 percent positive rating on the Tomatometer, with critics describing the fight choreography as not just exceeding the previous Creed movies, but being the best the Rocky franchise has ever seen.
Though Creed III isn’t a visual effects extravaganza like Avatar: The Way of Water, this is still one to catch in theaters rather than at home. The Rocky and Creed movies always benefit from watching with a live audience, as it’s difficult to resist cheering along with the crowd as the fights reach their physical and emotional crescendo.
Creed III hits theaters on Mar. 3.