Creed 2: Sylvester Stallone to direct Rocky sequel
Written by News on 11/10/2017
Sylvester Stallone has announced he will be directing Creed 2, the latest film in the Rocky franchise.
The star who wrote the original Rocky film said on Instagram he will be taking over from director Ryan Coogler, who revived the franchise in 2015 with Creed.
"Looking forward to directing and Producing The incredibly talented Michael B Jordan in CREED 2 next year … One more Round !," Stallone wrote on Monday, next to a photo of him and Jordan side by side.
After fighting to get his first Rocky script picked up by a studio, Stallone went on to win an Oscar for best picture, and has directed every Rocky sequel since.
In 2015, Coogler picked up a script by Aaron Covington and sought permission from Stallone to continue Rocky’s legacy, this time focusing on the son of his former foe Apollo Creed.
Stallone was nominated for a best supporting actor Oscar for his role in Creed, and the film premiered to rave reviews comparing it to the original.
It also turned a solid box office performance with takings of $173m (£131m) worldwide.
In September, Stallone announced he would start shooting Creed 2 in 2018, posting on Instagram a photo of him and Jordan training.
He has since teased the return of Ivan Drago, Rocky’s Russian competitor in Rocky IV.
Played by Dolph Lundgren, the Russian boxer remains one of Rocky’s most iconic characters, after famously killing Apollo in the ring with a crushing 2,000 psi punch.
"If he dies, he dies," the Soviet says in the film, after landing the killer blow.
"HISTORY WILL ALWAYS REPEAT ITSELF IN ONE FORM OR ANOTHER, JUST GOT TO BE READY!" Stallone wrote.
"Sins of the father… #creed2 #rockybalboa."
Little detail is known of the film’s plot, and even whether Drago himself will be back, or if his son will fight Creed’s heir instead.
(c) Sky News 2017: Creed 2: Sylvester Stallone to direct Rocky sequel
