Michael B. Jordan’s Adonis Creed faces off against Jonathan Majors’ Damian Anderson in ‘Creed III’. This movie also serves as Michael B. Jordan’s directorial debut who has been starring in the sports franchise since 2015.
Following the events of 2018’s ‘Creed II’, Adonis “Donnie” Creed is considering retirement as the undisputed Heavy Weight Champion of the World when his childhood friend and former boxing prodigy Damian “Dame” Anderson comes back into his life, throwing everything into disarray. The film puts the two former friends at odds and Donnie will have to fight in the most emotional match yet.
‘Creed III’ stars Michael B. Jordan (‘Black Panther’) as Adonis “Donnie” Creed, Jonathan Majors (‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’) as Damian “Dame” Anderson, Tessa Thompson (‘Thor: Love And Thunder’) as Bianca Taylor, Wood Harris (‘Blade Runner 2049’), and Phylicia Rashad (‘tick, tick… BOOM!’).
The official synopsis for ‘Creed III’ is below:
“After dominating the boxing world, Adonis Creed has been thriving in both his career and family life. When a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy, Damien Anderson, resurfaces after serving a long sentence in prison, he is eager to prove that he deserves his shot in the ring. The face-off between former friends is more than just a fight. To settle the score, Adonis must put his future on the line to battle Damien – a fighter who has nothing to lose.”
‘Creed III’ opened to $58.3 million domestially, $22 million more than ‘Creed II’. It is certified Tomatoe-meter fresh with a 89% score from critics and 96% from audience. The third installment has grossed $272 million worldwide since it’s release.
Michael B. Jordan As A First-Time Director
Helming a popular franchise such as ‘Creed’ is no easy task, yet Michael B. Jordan took on the challenge of being both the lead of the film and stepping behind the camera to direct. The star’s impressive resume and dedication shows as the film balances its action, heart, and humor extremely well.
Jordan kept the tone from the the previous ‘Creed’ films such as the action and redemption arc while adding his own flavor like utilizing slow-motion in the ring. This helped emphasis each punch and by using it sparingly, it didn’t make it feel like a gimmick. Jordan’s love of anime can also be seen in his directorial style. The actor has spoken about his love for animes such as ‘Naruto’, ‘Dragonball Z’, and ‘One Piece’, and using it as a visual reference for some of the fight scenes.
Cinematographer Kramer Morgenthau light the actors in such a unique and abstract way for the final match, using colors like red and green to emphasis what they’re feeling as they made their walk toward the ring. Morgenthau worked with Crafty Apes, the VFX team, to map out the final moments and by using a motion-control camera, the fight was immersive and distinctive.
With a stellar box office and reception, a “Creed-verse” may not be too far off. According to Deadline, Jordan has met with Amazon to explore other ‘Creed’ related projects. No details are confirmed but there are talks of spin-off projects such as an anime series, live-action TV series, and even a story centered on Donnie’s daughter Amara, played by deaf actress Mila Davis-Kent. A spin-off movie based on Rocky’s nemesis Ivan Drago and his son Viktor Drago has also been announced. The possibility is endless when it comes to the Creed/Rocky universe, which is quite exciting for fans of the franchise.
Where Is Rocky?
Director Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors Talk Sequel ‘Creed III’
One thing that was mising from ‘Creed III’ was Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa. Although Rocky has constantly been in Donnie’s corner in each movie, this is the first film in the ‘Creed’ saga to not feature the character. They do mention his name once during the film but Rocky’s whereabouts was not clear, so what happened?
Although Stallone created the characters in the original ‘Rocky’, he sold the rights to producer Irwin Winkler and MGM in order to have the first film made, therefore he has no real say in the future of the franchise. Stallone did not agree with the direction Winkler wanted to take with the franchise, and felt it was too dark.
We don’t know whether Stallone will return to the franchise, but his absence was definitely noticeable as someone who had been a mentor for Donnie since the first ‘Creed’ film.
Where Can I Watch ‘Creed III’?
The film premiered in Mexico City on February 9, 2023 and released theatrically in the United States on March 3, 2023. It is the third film in the ‘Creed’ franchise and the 19th film in the ‘Rocky’ saga. ‘Creed III’ has a total runtime of 1 hour and 56 minutes. You can still experience the boxing action-drama in theaters. Be sure to check below for showtimes in your area.
Buy Tickets: ‘Creed III’ Movie Showtimes
Watch the official trailers for ‘Creed III’ below:
Prefer to watch experience the movie from your home? You’re in luck. ‘Creed III’ is now available to rent or purchase digitally on the Amazon streaming service, Prime Video as of April 1, 2023.
Where To Watch: ‘Creed III’ Online
It is also available to purchase digitally:
Movies That Packs A Punch Like ‘Creed III:’
To watch our exclusive interviews with Michael B. Jordan and the cast of ‘Creed III,’ please click on the video player below.