Two years since the release of Ryan Coogler's "Creed," it seems that production is gearing up to make the sequel to the Academy Award-nominated film. The news comes via star Sylvester Stallone himself, who recently took to Instagram to show a still from the 2015 movie, captioning it, "Getting stronger !!! 2018 #Creed 2 #mgm #fitness #Rocky."
This isn't the first time Stallone hinted at the "Creed" sequel, as back in July, he posted a page from his notebook with "439 handwritten pages" that he claimed translated to "about a 120 page typed screenplay." As per Entertainment Weekly, the actor hinted that Dolph Lundgren's Soviet boxer, Ivan Drago may even return in the sequel.
In January 2016, MGM CEO Gary Barber confirmed to Variety that "There's no doubt that we're making a 'Creed 2'" but the studio has kept mum on when production will begin, or any other developments surrounding the film. However, enough time has passed and it seems that they will begin production in 2018, as per Stallone's Instagram post.
Getting stronger !!! 2018 #Creed 2 #mgm #fitness #Rocky https://t.co/VRiXnuhLmv
— Sylvester Stallone (@TheSlyStallone) September 1, 2017
Sylvester Stallone was initially reluctant to do 'Creed'
Back in January 2016, "Creed" star Sylvester Stallone spoke to Deadline about his initial reaction to Ryan Coogler's desire to create a Rocky film. The Golden Globe Award-winning actor admitted that it took a couple of years of convincing before he was on board.
He admitted that his initial reaction was "it was disconcerting." But he saw in Coogler a desire to create something so different, a departure from previous "Rocky" films. He admitted that Coogler's determination reminded Stallone of himself, which is why he decided that since someone once "took a chance" on him once, so he would pay it forward and take a chance on Coogler.
Actor wants to work with more young directors
The 2015 film "Creed" earned $173.6 million at the box office and it somehow changed Sylvester Stallone's perspective on who to collaborate with. The actor and writer told Deadline that he learned some valuable lessons in the movie, such as to "pay attention more to people when they present a project that is obviously challenging, and age appropriate." While Stallone truly appreciates his success in the action film genre, he's now looking to "explore something different, and work with other young directors like Ryan [Coogler]." It seems that he's finally pursuing his goals and kick starting it with the "Creed" sequel, which is reportedly set to begin production in 2018.
