MGM’s Creed III will have no trouble knocking out the competition in its box office opening.
The latest installment in the Rocky spinoff series is expected to start off domestically with a pleasing $38 million to $40 million, easily enough to win this weekend’s match.
In addition to returning as the title character Adonis Creed, Jordan also helmed Creed III in his feature directorial debut.
The first Creed, directed by Ryan Coogler, powered its way to a $42.1 million opening over the five-day Thanksgiving holiday in 2015, including $29 million for the three-day weekend, not adjusted for inflation. The Steven Caple Jr.-directed sequel opened over the Thanksgiving corridor in 2018, grossing $56 million for the five days and $35.5 million for the three.
Creed III, which was filmed with Imax digital cameras, will bump Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania off of many premium screens, including Imax locations.
The pic follows Jordan’s character as he comes out of retirement to face off with an old friend, played by Jonathan Majors (who is also garnering notice for his villainous role in Quantumania). Tessa Thompson, Mila Davis-Kent and Wood Harris co-star, among others.
Also debuting this weekend are the anime franchise installment Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – To the Swordsmith Village (Crunchyroll) and Guy Ritchie’s action pic Operation Fortune: Ruse de guerre (Lionsgate, Miramax). The two films are expected to open in the single digits.
Holdovers to watch include Marvel and Disney’s Quantumania and Universal’s high-profile genre pic Cocaine Bear.
