The pieces of the puzzle forCreed 2are really starting to fall into place now.Sylvester Stallonerecently finished writing the script for the movie and it looks like the sequel is going tostart shooting February 2018. Now, we know who’s going to be directing the next movie in theRockyfranchise and, in a somewhat surprising yet not surprising at all announcement, Sylvester Stallone has announced that he is going to direct the movie himself.
Many had assumed that, given the success ofCreed, director Ryan Coogler would return. However, he’s been busy filmingBlack Pantherfor Marvel and it looks like he’s not going to be able to make it back forCreed 2in time. So Sylvester Stallone, the man who built theRockyfranchise with his blood, sweat and tears, is going to step behind the camera once again and direct this thing. That means that Stallone is going to write, producer, direct and co-star inCreed 2alongsideMichael B. Jordan. That’s a full plate. Here’s what he had to say in an Instagram post, where he made the announcement.
“Looking forward to directing and Producing The incredibly talented Michael B Jordan in Creed 2 next year … One more Round ! #creed2 #mgm #fighting #workout #exercise #boxing”
It may be a bummer for many that Ryan Coogler won’t be directingCreed 2, but Sylvester Stallone is more than qualified for the gig. For one, he knows theRockyfranchise better than anyone on the planet, so that works in his favor quite a bit. But he’s also directed four other movies in the franchise includingRocky II,Rocky III,Rock IVandRocky Balboa. Save forRocky III, as of those are considered to be great sequels. He also directedThe Expendablesand a couple of other projects over the years. So even though you probably don’t think of Stallone as a director, he’s had a lot of success doing it.
The fact that Stallone directedRock IVis of particular note when it comes toCreed 2. As has been teased quite a bit by Sly in the past,Dolph Lundgren’s Ivan Dragois set to return in the sequel. There’s no word yet on how exactly he’s going to factor into the plot, but there are rumors that it is going to be Ivan Drago’s son squaring off with Adonis Creed in the ring this time around. Also, Stallone says that Rocky is going to throw at least one punch in Drago’s direction, which may make the whole thing worth the price of admission on its own.
Creedtook a lot of people by surprise in 2015. The movie wasn’t just a success at the box office, bringing in $173.5 million worldwide, but it was a massive critical success as well, with Sylvester Stallone earning a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award nomination for his work. SoCreed 2always felt inevitable, it just took a while to make it happen. The movie doesn’t currently have a release date, but that information should be coming soon with the recent news. You can check out Sylvester Stallone’s Instagram post for yourself below.
