Following its attachment to IMAX copies of “Avatar: The Way of Water” last weekend, MGM has now released a behind-the-scenes featurette for “Creed III” which goes into leading man Michael B. Jordan making his directorial debut.
Penned by Keenan Coogler and Zach Baylin from a story by Ryan Coogler, the new film sees Jordan’s Adonis Creed facing off against a recently released from prison childhood friend named Damian Anderson (Jonathan Majors) in the ring. Tessa Thompson, Wood Harris, Florian Munteanu, and Felicia Rashad reprise their roles from earlier entries.
The project marks the first film in the “Rocky” franchise without its creator, Sylvester Stallone, involved. Stallone’s Rocky Balboa appeared in six “Rocky” films and the first two “Creed” films. However, the new film will see a time jump of five years with Adonis at a pivotal time well into his professional career.
Speaking with Total Film, Jordan says as a result of this time jump it marks a new start for the franchise and for the character:
“We wouldn’t have Donnie without Rocky, and he will always be a pillar in Donnie’s life, but Creed III is really the dawn of a new era for the franchise and the character.
It was really important from a storytelling perspective to get to a pivotal point in Donnie’s career a few years down the line where he has really established himself with his professional career and his family.”
Separately he also spoke with Empire about Rocky’s absence and how the events of Rocky’s mentoring in the first two “Creed” films leads to him employing those lessons in life this time out:
“It’s really diving into the Creed universe and having him evolve, start his own family and go through his own trials and tribulations in life. Its allowed Adonis to stand on his own two feet and use the wisdom he’s learned from Rocky in the other two films.”
Jordan also spoke about Jonathan Majors’ Damien, confirming that the character is quite different to the other antagonists of the franchise and far less a ‘villain’:
“I think he has an intensity and a realness of character we haven’t seen before. He’s a grounded character who’s antagonistic by nature, but it comes from an honest place, real emotions. He’s not a mustache-twirling villain; I wanted people to understand him, and to make it hard for people. I think those make for the most complicated and interesting ones to watch.”
Selenis Leyva, Thaddeus J. Mixson, Spence Moore II, Mila Davis-Kent, and Canelo Álvarez also star in “Creed III” which is set to hit cinemas on March 3rd.
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