ROCKY is getting a spin-off, and it's all about CREED

Yo Adrian! These extra movies ain’t so bad! Pretty much everyone loves the Rocky movies, but when it came down to sheer charisma, Carl Weathers as Apollo Creed stole every scene that he was in. Of course, thanks to Rocky not throwing in the damn towel , Apollo got commie-punched so hard by Ivan Drago in Rocky 4, that he got KOed to that great big boxing ring in the sky.

But Apollo ain’t dead yet, as his legacy will live on in an upcoming Rocky spin-off that goes by the name of Creed. Hopefully, it won’t be about that band.

MGM has their eyes set on Ryan Coogler to direct the film, teaming up with his Fruitvale Station star Michael B Jordan, who will handle the role of Apollo Creed’s grandson. Fruitvale Station has won rave reviews so far on the Sundance and Cannes film festival circuits, so MGM is hoping to get production fast-tracked. Here’s the description of the film spin-off so far according to Deadline:

 Raised in an upper-crust home thanks to the ring riches earned by his grandfather, the young man doesn’t have to box and his family doesn’t want him to. Yet, he has the natural instinct and gifts and potential that made his grandfather the heavyweight champion until Rocky Balboa took his crown in 1979′s Rocky II. Creed’s grandson needs a mentor and turns to Balboa, who is out of boxing completely and not eager to return.

Now what makes this an exciting idea for me, is that Coogler actually has some real passion for the film, according to reports. This is his dream movie, so I can imagine that he’ll be creating something that is more in line with the original Rocky movies, and not a complete sad-sack downer movie that Rocky 6 was.

And it’s a good twist, which I already have some ideas for. Let’s bring in the son of Ivan Drago, a Soviet era monster with super-USSR steroids that is seeking to avenge the defeat of his father at the hands of Rocky, which Gemini Creed will serve as the proxy for. But before all that, we get to meet the grandson of Creed who wishes that he could find some outlet for his apparent need to punch his fellow tennis players. If only there was some sport, where he could put his smooth moves and cocky swagger to good use!

And then Rocky comes in, and is all like “YO Keed! Yoo look kinda good out dere on dose golf courses, yoo wanna try herring serme folks insted?” And then they get over their differences and proceed to have a joyful dance in the sand, laughing and smiling and dammit Hollywood, are you writing this stuff down yet?

But seriously, while Stallone may have been the heart of the series, Carl Weathers as Apollo Creed was without a doubt the smooth soul of the franchise. And if Coogler and Jordan can bottle that lightning with their take on the iconic boxing series, then I’m all for it.

Last Updated: July 25, 2013