Michael B. Jordan will be stepping behind the camera for “Creed III”, with MGM officially announcing he’ll be doing triple duty as star, producer, and director.
This will mark Jordan’s directorial debut, with the screenplay to be written by Keenan Coogler and Zach Baylin, based on an outline by Ryan Coogler, who directed the first two “Creed” movies.
“Michael’s vision for ‘Creed III’ is incredibly exciting and will undoubtedly be an important contribution to the canon of this storied franchise,” said Michael De Luca, MGM’s film group chairman, and Pamela Abdy, MGM’s film group president, in a statement. “We are thrilled to bring his directorial debut, and share this next chapter in the Creed story, to theatres next year.”
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Along with Jordan, Tessa Thompson and Phylicia Rashad will be reprising their roles from the earlier films; MGM’s announcement didn’t mention whether Sylvester Stallone would return to portray Rocky Balboa.
“Directing has always been an aspiration, but the timing had to be right,” said Jordan. “‘Creed III’ is that moment — a time in my life where I’ve grown more sure of who I am, holding agency in my own story, maturing personally, growing professionally, and learning from the Greats like Ryan Coogler, most recently Denzel Washington, and other top-tier directors I respect. All of which sets the table for this moment. This franchise, and in particular the themes of ‘Creed III’, are deeply personal to me. I look forward to sharing the next chapter of Adonis Creed’s story with the awesome responsibility of being its director and namesake.”
Added Ryan Coogler: “The films of Sylvester Stallone’s ‘Rocky’ franchise have always been important to me and my family. It was an honour to help bring the Creed franchise to life with Sly, Michael, Tessa, Irwin, and all the creative parties involved. I couldn’t be more thrilled to see Mike in the director’s chair on the third instalment. The team at Proximity and I are excited about the story Keenan and Zach have crafted and can’t wait to help bring it to life,” Coogler will be a producer on the film.
“Creed III” is scheduled for a theatrical release on Nov. 23, 2022.