Written by Kianna Best on Mar 6, 2023. Posted in Production News

Creed III is boxing the box office with opening weekend figures

After a much anticipated wait, Creed III hit cinemas on Friday 3 March. The story continues for Adonis Creed as he battles with his past after the arrival of childhood friend Damian Anderson. Creed star Michael B Jordan also directs this recent instalment of the franchise, bringing the usual high energy, suspense filled fight scenes with the essence of his anime watching influence. Creed III opened with a knockout global box office of USD 100 million.

Much more than a boxing movie, Creed has touched on conversations surrounding fatherhood, manhood, disability and race. In this new instalment, Adonis Creed is forced to face a past that he has tried so hard to forget when his childhood friend Damian Anderson, played by Marvel villain and rising film star Jonathan Majors, returns to take what he believes he deserves.

In a statement Jordan commented: “I wanted to tackle . . . what happens when you don’t face your past, talk about it, and work through trauma. Forgiveness is the most integral part of any conflict. At the heart of Creed III is forgiveness.”

Crediting anime for having the main things he loves about storytelling such as the “heart, relationships and friendships” as he revealed in his New York Times interview with Majors, Jordan’s directorial reach branches out to unexpected genres for the beloved franchise extension. Beyond the narrative and at a more surface visual level, Jordan suggests viewers look out for a creative borrowing of a punch from the Dragon Ball Z universe.

The anime genre influence also aids Jordan’s exploration of toxic masculinity and the challenges that Black men face when expressing their emotions and the impact of past traumas that follow them throughout their lives. With the physicality of two goliaths matching up against each other in the ring, the story takes time to give way to the more emotional conversations which dwell on how the characters interact and grow with one another during the film.

Images courtesy of Eli Ade/MGM