It’s hard to think of many ideas throughout all of film history that elicit a “yeah, sure, why the hell not” reaction quite like Ryan Coogler‘s Creed, a Rocky spin-off focused on Adonis Johnson Creed, son of Apollo Creed. Although Sylvester Stallone ended the franchise on a surprisingly commendable note in 2006’s Rocky Balboa (saving us from Rocky VII: Adrian’s Revenge), this is hardly sacred ground, and an up-and-coming helmer-star pairing adapting its mold to their own liking is at least a curious prospect. Just not something I’d thought of once since it was first announced.
But now there’s a trailer for Coogler and Michael B. Jordan‘s Fruitvale Station follow-up, and what’s here looks mighty fine: a return to the regular-nobody-tries-making-it-big narrative that distinguished the original film — which was really just a small drama at its heart; Mr. T and the defeat of Communism via fists only came after — and perhaps (we can’t be certain) an eye that distinguishes it from the original series’ more classical approach. Most of all, though, it’s just nice to see Stallone step back into those shoes to grant a new generation the pugilism spotlight. (This idea might be so good, in fact, that the first in-motion glimpse of it yields great promise.) Fingers crossed that this doesn’t flame out.
Have a look at the trailer below.
Synopsis:
Adonis Johnson (Jordan) never knew his famous father, world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed, who died before he was born. Still, there’s no denying that boxing is in his blood, so Adonis heads to Philadelphia, the site of Apollo Creed’s legendary match with a tough upstart named Rocky Balboa.
Once in the City of Brotherly Love, Adonis tracks Rocky (Stallone) down and asks him to be his trainer. Despite his insistence that he is out of the fight game for good, Rocky sees in Adonis the strength and determination he had known in Apollo—the fierce rival who became his closest friend. Agreeing to take him on, Rocky trains the young fighter, even as the former champ is battling an opponent more deadly than any he faced in the ring.
With Rocky in his corner, it isn’t long before Adonis gets his own shot at the title… but can he develop not only the drive but also the heart of a true fighter, in time to get into the ring?
Creed opens on November 25.