Watch two official trailers for Creed, starring Michael B. Jordan as the son of champion boxer Apollo Creed. Sylvester Stallone also reprises his iconic role as Rocky Balboa.
One of my favorite childhood memories is watching the Rocky series on VHS with my Dad. I’ve always loved Rocky Balboa’s tenacity, even in the face of some very big challenges (e.g. undisputed world Heavyweight Champion, “Master of Disaster” Apollo Creed, Clubber Lang/Mr. T., Ivan Drago/USSR). These films are the ultimate story of how an underdog can triumph, no matter the odds. Every time there’s a Rocky marathon on TV, you’ll find me parked on my couch, watching and cheering him on! (*SIDENOTE* Rocky III is my favorite; how about you?)
So imagine my surprise and delight when Warner Brothers (in conjunction with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and New Line Cinema) announced that they’d be continuing the Rocky story, this time from a different POV.
Creed stars Michael B. Jordan as the son of Apollo Creed, who is joined by Sylvester Stallone as he reprises his iconic role:
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 also stars Phylicia Rashad (Lifetime’s Steel Magnolias) as Mary Anne Creed, Apollo’s widow; Tessa Thompson (Selma, Dear White People) as Bianca, a local singer-songwriter who becomes involved with Adonis; and English pro boxer and former three-time ABA Heavyweight Champion Anthony Bellew as boxing champ “Pretty” Ricky Conlan. (via Warner Brothers)
Creed hits theaters on November 25, 2015 (day before Thanksgiving), but we already have TWO trailers to watch and enjoy. We meet Adonis and see he feels quite a bit of resentment towards his father. With that said, he’s determined to become a champion, and who better to help him on that journey than Rocky, himself. Watch below:
First, Michael B. Jordan looks GREAT as Adonis! I can’t imagine the type of training he had to do to get into peak form. Adonis is struggling to emerge from his father’s shadow, but perhaps he’s just the man to live up to the Creed legacy.
Also, it’s really nice to see Sly Stallone back in the ring. How cool is it that Rocky is now the mentor?! (Did you catch the glimpse of Rocky visiting Paulie’s grave? *weeping*) He can share the lessons he’s learned through the years with Adonis…many of them from Apollo Creed.
Finally, I’m really interested in the relationship between Adonis and his mother. It isn’t surprising that she wouldn’t want her son to follow her husband’s path.
I can’t wait…so after Thanksgiving lunch and before I get in line for Black Friday, I’ll be making my way to the movie theater to enjoy this film!
Take a look at the awesome new movie poster for Creed, featuring Adonis/Michael and Rocky/Sly and make sure to follow the film across its social media accounts.
