Creed III will be with us before you know it, and it’ll mark a significant professional milestone for franchise star Michael B. Jordan. The movie serves as the A-lister’s directorial debut, and he and his collaborators put a lot of work into the highly anticipated threequel. At this point, there have been a fair amount of behind-the-scenes photos and videos, allowing fans to geek out over the sight of Jordan directing. The star recently posted another snapshot taken during production (which wrapped last year), and it shows him and the crew looking “locked in” on the set.
A film set is a place where considerable work has to be done, and that’s especially true when you’re working on a blockbuster franchise like Creed. So it shouldn’t be all that shocking to anyone that a cast and crew would possess a serious mindset while taking care of business. However, I’d argue that Michael B. Jordan and his co-workers doubled down on that approach based on the photo that the actor shared to his Instagram stories. Take a look:
Though I’ve never actually worked on any of the Rocky films or their spinoffs, I’d wager that’s the kind of laser focus one needs when approaching the work. That’s likely doubly true in regards to filming the intricate and lengthy fight sequences. You need dedication, and that’s what I see in the eyes of the folks in that picture. The post also indicates that the first-time director is grateful for the team that he worked with.
Michael B. Jordan hasn’t shown any signs of nervousness in regard to helming Creed III, as he’s only exuded confidence when discussing the work. That may be because he had a solid leg-up when he was preparing to sit in the director’s chair. Jordan got advice from fellow actor-directors like Bradley Cooper and Denzel Washington, who was honored by the Adonis Creed actor. When Jordan sought them out for advice, they said to “find your groove and your pace with your first AD and actors.” That statement, along with additional nuggets of wisdom, worked in Jordan’s favor and allowed him to have a truly “liberating” experience on set.
Clearly, he took their advice, as the first trailer for Creed III was nothing short of spectacular. The movie picks up several years after the events of its predecessor and catches up with Adonis at a point where he’s experienced much success. His comfortable life with wife Bianca Taylor and their child, Amara, is threatened when an old friend, Damian Anderson, returns to stake his own claim. In addition to its intriguing narrative, there seem to be some spectacular fights in store for audiences. I personally can’t wait to see the equally massive Jordan and Jonathan Majors (who plays Damian) go at it.
The anticipation for this movie is growing, and it’s going to be difficult to wait these last two months for it. Expectations are high, but there’s definitely reason to be confident in the final product. This is a passion project for Michael B. Jordan, and he appears to have dotted all of the i’s and crossed all of the t’s so to speak. Plus, with a “locked in” crew like that working on the film, I’m willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.
Creed III opens in theaters on March 3 as part of the schedule of 2023 new movies releases and, while you wait for its arrival, stream the first two films using a Hulu subscription.