Ryan Coogler will executive produce ‘Creed II’
The black Panther director will reunite with Michael B. Jordan in a new way this time around.
Creed II began production this week, and we can’t wait to see Michael B. Jordan reprise his mostly shirtless role of Apollo Creed’s son Adonis. Tessa Thompson will also return in the role of Bianca, and Phylicia Rashad has signed on to play his mother, Mary Anne, again. Now, there’s news of another surprise return.
While fans have already had to accept that Ryan Coogler won’t be directing the sequel, they can rest easy he will bless the project after he announced he will serve as executive producer for the sequel.
READ MORE: “It’s tough being a Black man in America” — Michael B. Jordan on going from broke to Black Panther
“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,” Ryan Coogler said in a statement.
The film will be directed by Steven Cable Jr. (The Land) and 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.
“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,” Cable said in a statement. “It started to feel personal for many different reasons. This next Creed is a tale beyond the boxing ring and dives deeps into family, legacy, and fears. I’m excited to share my view and collaborate with the talented cast and crew.”
READ MORE: Black Panther cast impresses fans with “All My Life” rendition
The Black Panther director reveled his reasons for refusing to direct the follow-up last month.
“Creed was about my dad and me, so it’s a movie that I find difficult to watch. It’s difficult for me to even think about it, I’ve got so many emotional ties to it, not to mention you know how much I care about the people involved,” he said. “I care deeply for Mike, obviously, deeply for Tessa, and I grew incredibly close with Sly in making that. These are people that I wanna see do well and win at all costs.”
Ryan Coogler will team up with Michael B. Jordan again for their upcoming film, Wrong Answer.
