Michael B. Jordan Will Make Directorial Debut With Creed III

Deadline has confirmed the long-standing rumour that Michael B Jordan will make his directorial debut with the third chapter in the Creed story. The hit spin-off from the Rocky franchise launched back in 2015 with the Ryan Coogler helmed movie that brought Sylvester Stallone's Rocky Balboa full circle as he took on training Adonis (Jordan). The 2018 sequel saw Adonis in the fight of his life against Viktor Drago, the son of Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), the man who killed his father in the ring. There's no word yet on the involvement of Stallone; the script is being written by Keenan Coogler and Zach Baylin which is based on an outline by Ryan Coogler. Speaking about stepping behind the camera, here's what Michael B. Jordan had to say;

“Directing has always been an aspiration, but the timing had to be right. 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.”

Producer Ryan Coogler added;

“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."

Michael B. Jordan returns to our screens next month in the Amazon Original Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse; the movie lands on Amazon on April 30th with a sequel already in the works. Creed III is set for release in cinemas on November 23, 2022.