Creed II (2018)

[Jake Lipson]

Title: Creed II (2018)

Genre: Drama

Director: Steven Caple Jr.

Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Wood Harris, Phylicia Rashād, Dolph Lundgren, Florian Munteanu, Tessa Thompson, Andre Ward, Brigitte Nielsen, Milo Ventimiglia, Russell Hornsby, Carl Weathers, Robbie Johns, Jacob 'Stitch' Duran, Patrice Harris, Ana Gerena, Christopher Mann, Robert Douglas, Benjamin Vaynshelboym, Angelina Shipilina, Pavel Vakunov, Oleg Ivanov, Pete Postiglione, Billy Vargus, Zack Beyer, Chrisdine King, Johanna Tolentino, Eleni Delopoulos, Marcia Myers, Ivo Nandi, Dmitry Torgovitsky, Michael Buffer, Jim Lampley, Max Kellerman, Roy Jones Jr.

Release: 2018-11-21

Plot: Follows Adonis Creed’s life inside and outside of the ring as he deals with new found fame, issues with his family, and his continuing quest to become a champion.

Steven Caple, Jr. has been hired as director of Creed 2.

http://variety.com/2017/film/news/creed-2-director-steven-caple-jr-1202626542/

Has anyone heard of this guy at all? Good on him for getting the job, but I can't say he is a name I am familiar with.

Gotta say that Ryan Coogler's direction is a major reason why I liked the first one, and I'm kind of bummed he's not coming back. Yeah, yeah, he's doing Black Panther, but if this isn't shooting until early 2018 anyway, he'll be done with that really soon, since it releases in February. I would have waited for him to do it, personally.

But, maybe Mr. Caple will surprise us. Here's hoping it's really good.

Edit: More details from Deadline, including a statement from Stallone. http://deadline.com/2017/12/creed-2-steven-caple-jr-sylvester-stallone-directing-1202224671/

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I was hoping that Coogler would come back, too, but it became clear fairly quickly after the success of the first one that Stallone and Winkler weren't willing to wait to do it on Coogler's timeframe.

For a while, it looked like Stallone was going to direct. He can do Rocky movies in his sleep, so I'm exciting to see another up and coming black director take the reins. If The Land didn't find the critical acclaim that Fruitvale Station did, even many of the lukewarm reviews marked Caple as a filmmaker to watch. And most of the complaints with The Land centered around the script. Since Caple didn't write this movie, that shouldn't be an issue.

I'm particularly excited to see that the script was a collaboration between Stallone and "Luke Cage" showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker. One of the things that made Creed so special is that Coogler and Covington were attuned to three very different environments: affluent excess in Southern California, a very specific black scene in Philadelphia, and the white working class rust belt social network of Philadelphia. Stallone has shown again and again that he knows how to write white working class Philadelphia. And while I had my issues with "Luke Cage", there's no question it did a great job of establishing a whole world inside a relatively small neighborhood.

 

[Jake Lipson]

I was hoping that Coogler would come back, too, but it became clear fairly quickly after the success of the first one that Stallone and Winkler weren't willing to wait to do it on Coogler's timeframe.

The funny thing is, though, that they've waited almost long enough to have him, since he's about to finish Black Panther, and they're going into production in the early part of the year.

I have no opinion on Mr. Caple since I haven't seen This Land, or even heard of it or him, before this news.

 

[Bob_S.]

I just worry if this might be Rocky's last appearance. Stallone has killed off a major character in 4 of the 7 movies so far and Rocky's getting up there in age. It seems the natural thing to do but I don't think I'll ever be ready for it. I don't like seeing my heroes die, just fade into the sunset.

.

 

[Greg_S_H]

I just worry if this might be Rocky's last appearance. Stallone has killed off a major character in 4 of the 7 movies so far and Rocky's getting up there in age. It seems the natural thing to do but I don't think I'll ever be ready for it. I don't like seeing my heroes die, just fade into the west.

He could always kill off the turtle (it's going to outlive us all in the real world).

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Prinicipal photography has begun in Philadelphia. The press release from MGM:

CREED II RETURNS TO THE RING AS PRODUCTION BEGINS IN PHILADELPHIA FOR METRO GOLDWYN MAYER PICTURES AND WARNER BROS. PICTURES

Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone and Tessa Thompson reprise their roles

Ryan Coogler comes on board as executive producer

LOS ANGELES (April 2, 2018) – Production begins today in Philadelphia on Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures (MGM) and Warner Bros. Pictures’ Creed II, starring Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone, reprising their roles of Adonis Creed and Rocky Balboa respectively. Creed II is the continuation of the Rocky saga and sequel to the 2015 critically acclaimed and crowd-pleasing 2015 hit Creed, which took in more than $170 million at the worldwide box office. Ryan Coogler (Black Panther), who directed the first film, returns to the franchise as an executive producer on Creed II. The new film is being directed by Steven Caple Jr., who helmed the acclaimed 2016 drama The Land.

“When I wrote and directed Creed, I wanted to tell a human story about a family from a new perspective, while also paying homage to the Rocky characters we’ve all grown up knowing and loving. I’ve known Steven was an amazing filmmaker since our days at USC film school together, so I can’t wait to see what he, Sly, Mike and Tessa bring to this next chapter,” said Coogler.

Caple Jr. said, “It's an honor to be a part of the franchise and work with such a thoughtful team. I got involved because I've always been a Rocky fan and I enjoy stories with heart and substance. But when Ryan put his touch on Creed I felt another level of connection to the franchise. It started to feel personal for many different reasons. This next Creed is a tale beyond the boxing ring and dives deep into family, legacy, and fears. I'm excited to share my view and collaborate with the talented cast and crew.”

“Ryan and Steven are voices for their generation and their shared vision for Creed has brought the Rocky franchise to an entirely new audience. We know audiences will continue to embrace the legacy that Sly created so many years ago,” said producer Irwin Winkler.

Life has become a balancing act for Adonis Creed. Between personal obligations and training for his next big fight, he is up against the challenge of his life. Facing an opponent with ties to his family’s past only intensifies his impending battle in the ring. Rocky Balboa is there by his side through it all and, together, Rocky and Adonis will confront their shared legacy, question what’s worth fighting for, and discover that nothing’s more important than family. Creed II is about going back to basics to rediscover what made you a champion in the first place, and remembering that, no matter where you go, you can’t escape your history.

Also reprising their roles from the first film are Tessa Thompson as Bianca, Phylicia Rashad as Mary Anne, Wood Harris as Tony 'Little Duke' Burton, and Andre Ward as Danny ‘Stuntman’ Wheeler. The new cast is rounded out with Florian “The Big Nasty” Munteanu as Viktor Drago, Dolph Lundgren returning to the role of Ivan Drago, and Russell Hornsby as Buddy Marcelle. Creed II will be distributed theatrically in the U.S. by MGM on November 21, 2018, and Warner Bros. Pictures will distribute the film internationally.

Caple Jr. directs from an original screenplay written by Stallone based on characters from the Rocky franchise. The film is produced by Irwin Winkler, Charles Winkler, William Chartoff, David Winkler, Kevin King-Templeton and Stallone. Coogler, Jordan and Guy Riedel will executive produce.

Collaborating with Caple Jr. is a creative team led by director of photography Kramer Morgenthau (Thor: The Dark World, Game of Thrones); production designer Franco Carbone (The Expendables, Billionaire Boys Club); costume designers Lizz Wolf (A Single Man, Dreamgirls); art director Jesse Rosenthal (Black Panther, Trumbo); fight coordinator Daniel Hernandez (Avengers: Infinity War, The Fate of the Furious); technical boxing advisor Robert Sale (Grudge Match, Ali); special effects coordinator Patrick White (Baby Driver, Deepwater Horizon) and VFX producer Crystal Dowd (Straight Outta Compton, Pitch Perfect 2). Filming will take place primarily in Philadelphia with additional locations in New Mexico.

Creed, directed by Coogler, was released by Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema in November 2015 and went on to garner many honors for Stallone, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture, and an Academy Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role.

###

About Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) is a leading entertainment company focused on the production and global distribution of film and television content across all platforms. The company owns one of the world’s deepest libraries of premium film and television content as well as the premium pay television network EPIX, which is available throughout the U.S. via cable, satellite, telco and digital distributors. In addition, MGM has investments in numerous other television channels, digital platforms and interactive ventures and is producing premium short-form content for distribution. For more information, visit www.mgm.com.


Media Contacts:
Kristin Cotich/MGM
[email protected]
310.449.3606


Jack Horner/Warner Bros.
[email protected]
818.954.3291
​

Interesting that Cheo Hodari Coker is no longer credited as a screenwriter. And while I doubt Ryan Coogler will be very hands on with this one, based on the assembled talent he's at least not embarrassed to put his name on it.

 

[Jake Lipson]

They've just started production and plan to have this out in November? That's going to have to be a very fast turnaround.

 

[Diallo B]

can't wait.

 

[Jake Lipson]

The writer of Creed 2 has talked a little about it:

https://screenrant.com/creed-2-writer-plot-characters/?utm_content=buffera113c

Also, I wonder when we'll get a trailer for this? With a November release, you'd think they'll want to start marketing fairly soon.

 

[Jake Lipson]

 

[Jake Lipson]

This made me realize It's been a while (outside of Star Wars, of course) since a series has opted for the Roman numeral instead of the digit to designate its number. I guess it makes sense since Rocky did. I just haven't seen it in a while.

Cool poster.

If MGM is releasing this one themselves domestically, which I think they are, do you think they will be able to do double features on the first night with the original Creed? That might be fun to do, but technically WB is the distributor of the first film. Sony can't do double features for Sicario: Day of the Soldado with its predecessor because Lionsgate is the distributor of the first film and is not involved this time around.

 

[TravisR]

This made me realize It's been a while (outside of Star Wars, of course) since a series has opted for the Roman numeral instead of the digit to designate its number. I guess it makes sense since Rocky did. I just haven't seen it in a while.

And Star Wars only uses the Roman numerals in the proper onscreen title and not in any of the marketing any more. I like the numerical resemblance to Rocky too.

 

[ScottJH]

Trailer dropped this morning.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Jake Lipson]

That looks good.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I love that they're selling the movie on character and not the boxing.

 

[Jake Lipson]

I agree. I don't like boxing. The first movie appealed to me because of the characters and how well-written they were by Ryan Coogler, so I'm glad that approach is apparently continuing even though Coogler isn't back.

 

[Jake Lipson]

 

[Jake Lipson]

New film stills:

https://deadline.com/2018/08/creed-...ichael-b-jordan-first-look-photos-1202441544/

 

[Jake Lipson]

Here's an interview Tessa Thompson recently did about the music in the new film:

https://blackgirlnerds.com/bgn-film...r-voice-to-bianca-in-the-creed-ii-soundtrack/

 

[Jake Lipson]

The new trailer is here. It looks great in my opinion.