The one thing that Tron: Legacy quietly introduced to Hollywood was the concept of legacy sequels. Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens fully legitimized the idea, while the Scream reboot subverted it. Over the years, several franchises have attempted to revive themselves with a legacy sequel. Still, while the second Tron movie got most of the credit for setting the ball in motion, another movie released only five years later probably had a bigger impact. The movie in question is Creed, a legacy sequel to the Rocky franchise, which made the illegitimate son of Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) the protagonist. Starring Michael B. Jordan, Creed spawned two sequels of its own and will be available to stream alongside them (and the Rocky films) on the Peacock streaming service beginning December 1.
Not only did Creed establish Jordan as a star to be reckoned with, it also served as a stepping stone for director Ryan Coogler. The two had previously worked together on Fruitvale Station, and would go on to collaborate on Black Panther and this year’s Sinners. Produced on a reported budget of $40 million, Creed grossed over $170 million worldwide. The movie brought back Sylvester Stallone as the iconic Rocky Balboa, who took on the role of mentor to the young Adonis Creed. Stallone went on to earn an Academy Award nomination for his pathos-filled performance as the aging Rocky. The movie itself was critically acclaimed, and is now sitting at a “certified fresh” 95% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes — the highest of the Rocky series.
The ‘Creed’ Franchise Has Gone from Strong to Stronger
The website consensus reads, “Starring Michael B. Jordan, Ryan Coogler’s Creed earned stellar reviews and grossed nearly $200 million at the global box office, spawning two sequels.” Released in 2018, Creed II was directed by Steven Caple Jr. The movie grossed around $215 million worldwide against a reported budget of $50 million. Jordan himself directed Creed III, which was released in 2023, grossing over $275 million worldwide against a reported budget of $75 million. A fourth movie is in the works. Creed and the rest of the Rocky movies will be released on Peacock on December 1. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
- Release Date
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November 25, 2015
- Runtime
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133 minutes
- Director
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Ryan Coogler
