A few months back, his Creed co-star Tessa Thompson let slip that Michael B. Jordan would be getting behind the camera for the third instalment of the Rocky spinoff series, and now we have official confirmation that the star will indeed make his directorial debut with Creed III.
“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.”
“I cannot overstate how thrilled we are to have Michael directing the third film in the Creed series,” added producer Irwin Winkler. “His commitment to this character has been nothing short of extraordinary, and we know that will extend to his role behind the camera at the helm of this great new installment.”
“The films of Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky franchise have always been important to me and my family,” added producer Ryan Coogler, who directed the first Creed movie. “It was an honor 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 installment. The team at Proximity and I are excited about the story [screenwriters Keenan Coogler and Zach Baylin] have crafted and can’t wait to help bring it to life.”
“Michael’s vision for Creed III is incredibly exciting and will undoubtedly be an important contribution to the cannon of this storied franchise,” said Michael De Luca, MGM’s Film Group chairman, and Pamela Abdy, MGM’s Film Group president. “We are thrilled to bring his directorial debut, and share this next chapter in the Creed story, to theaters next year.”
SEE ALSO: Why Creed needs to leave Rocky Balboa behind
Creed III has been dated for Thanksgiving 2022, and will see Jordan reprising the role of Adonis Creed alongside the returning Tessa Thompson and Phylicia Rashad. As yet, there’s no word if we’ll see Sylvester Stallone back for another round as Rocky Balboa.
Via Deadline
