While Sylvester Stallone has teased the possibility of a spin-off from the franchise following Rocky Balboa and a new fighter, MGM has begun development on a third installment in the Creed franchise as King Richard scribe Zach Baylin has been tapped to pen the script, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
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Creed II was the continuation of the Rocky saga and sequel to the 2015 critically-acclaimed and crowd-pleasing 2015 hit Creed, which took in more than $170 million at the worldwide box office. Ryan Coogler (Black Panther), who directed the first film, returns to the franchise as an executive producer on Creed II.
Life had become a balancing act for Adonis Creed. Between personal obligations and training for his next big fight, he was up against the challenge of his life. Facing an opponent with ties to his family’s past only intensified his impending battle in the ring. Rocky Balboa was there by his side through it all and, together, Rocky and Adonis confronted their shared legacy, questioned what’s worth fighting for and discovered that nothing’s more important than family. Creed II was about going back to basics to rediscover what made you a champion in the first place, and remembering that, no matter where you go, you can’t escape your history.
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Plot details on the third installment are currently under wraps as the search for a director is underway.
Also reprising their roles from the first film were Tessa Thompson as Bianca, Phylicia Rashad as Mary Anne, Wood Harris as Tony ‘Little Duke’ Burton, and Andre Ward as Danny ‘Stuntman’ Wheeler. The new cast was rounded out with Florian “The Big Nasty” Munteanu as Viktor Drago, Dolph Lundgren returning to the role of Ivan Drago and Russell Hornsby as Buddy Marcelle. Creed II will be distributed theatrically in the U.S. by MGM on November 21, 2018, and Warner Bros. Pictures will distribute the film internationally.
The film hit theaters in November 2018, with Steven Caple Jr. (The Land) having taken over directorial duties from Ryan Coogler (Black Panther), and saw larger box office success than its predecessor and more strong reviews from critics and audiences alike.
