MGM is moving forward with plans for Creed 3 starring Michael B. Jordan, as King Richard writer Zach Baylin has been hired to pen the script. Picking up years after Sylvester Stallone's Rocky movies, Ryan Coogler managed to evolve the franchise in a new direction with Creed in 2015. With Michael B. Jordan playing the son of Apollo Creed, Adonis, and Stallone's return as the Italian Stallion, Creed was a financial and critical hit that has since become a franchise.
The movie Creed 2 was released in 2018 with Jordan and Stallone returning, along with Tessa Thompson and Dolph Lundgren as the franchise's ultimate villain, Ivan Drago. Although it didn't receive the overwhelming praise of the first film, Steven Caple Jr.'s addition to the franchise was another hit. The sequel made $214 million worldwide (up from Creed's $173M) after a franchise-record opening weekend and left the door open for Adonis' story to continue - but without Rocky. There hasn't been much movement on the possibility of Creed 3 happening though, until now.
According to THR, MGM has hired Zach Baylin to write the script for Creed 3. He most recently wrote King Richard, a biopic following the father of future tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams. The movie is set up at Netflix and stars Will Smith. There are no plot details for Creed 3 at this time, but Jordan will return to star. It is also unclear if Caple Jr. will be back to direct the third installment, or if MGM will find a new filmmaker - possibly even Jordan himself - to move the franchise forward.
Now that Creed 3 finally has a writer attached, there is finally a definitive sign that MGM plans to keep the franchise alive. With the two films grossing almost $400M combined and Jordan's popularity continuing to rise, it would've been a surprising decision to not at least finish the trilogy. That said, it is unknown how quickly Creed 3 will happen, especially with Jordan's busy schedule. He recently joined David O. Russell's new film and will star in Denzel Washington's A Journal for Jordan immediately after. There's also been plenty of speculation that Jordan could even return as Killmonger in Black Panther 2, and Jordan has potential new franchises in the wings with Without Remorse and The Silver Bear.
Without any plot details for Creed 3, the possibilities for what the new film could explore are endless. Seeing how Adonis has adjusted to life without Rocky is something that will have to be dealt with, along with how he's balancing his growing family and fighting career. Of course, plenty of fans are surely hoping that Stallone will return for the next installment too - even though he says he is done with the role. It is now up to Zach Baylin to figure out the direction Creed 3's story should take, and clearly there are plenty of options.
Source: THR