48 Fun Facts About Creed Movie

Who directed the first Creed film in 2015?

Ryan Coogler co-wrote the script with Aaron Covington; MGM had hired him in 2013.

Creed is which numbered instalment in the overall Rocky franchise?

Creed is the seventh film in the series, after Rocky (1976), Rocky II to V and Rocky Balboa (2006), which Stallone had intended as the finale before MGM backed a spin-off.

Adonis is the son of the late heavyweight champion by what kind of relationship?

Adonis was born of Apollo Creed's extramarital affair and never knew his father, who died before his birth; raised as Adonis Johnson, he is taken from juvenile detention by Apollo's widow Mary Anne.

Who plays Mary Anne Creed, the champion's widow who raises Adonis?

Phylicia Rashad, best known as Clair Huxtable on The Cosby Show, plays Mary Anne Creed; Sylvia Meals, who had played Mrs Creed in Rocky II and Rocky IV, died in 2011.

At the start of Creed, Adonis quits which kind of job to box full-time?

He had been fighting amateur bouts in a Tijuana bar at weekends before resigning from the Smith Boardley Financial Group.

What does Adonis lose to Danny 'Stuntman' Wheeler in a sparring bet in the first film?

Adonis loses his 1967 Ford Mustang when Wheeler flattens him in a sparring bet at the Los Angeles gym; in Creed II he wins it back by beating Wheeler for the WBC heavyweight title.

What is the name of Rocky's Italian restaurant in Philadelphia, where Adonis first finds him in Creed?

Adrian's is named in honour of his late wife; the crew converted the real Victor Cafe in South Philadelphia into the restaurant for the shoot.

In Creed, who does Adonis learn won his father's private third bout with the Italian Stallion?

Rocky tells Adonis that Apollo won their private third bout, settling a mystery left open since the freeze-frame ending of Rocky III in 1982.

In Creed (2015), what is the profession of Bianca, Adonis's love interest played by Tessa Thompson?

Bianca is an up-and-coming Philadelphia singer-songwriter with progressive hearing loss; Tessa Thompson performed the character's songs herself.

Under what fight name does Adonis box before adopting the Creed surname?

Adonis fights in Philadelphia as 'Hollywood' Donnie Johnson, a jab at his Los Angeles roots; after his win over Leo 'The Lion' Sporino the losing camp leaks that he is Apollo's son.

What illness is Rocky diagnosed with in the first Creed film?

Rocky is diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and at first refuses chemotherapy, because it failed to save Adrian, until Adonis makes his own training conditional on Rocky taking treatment.

Adonis's big fight in Creed is against 'Pretty' Ricky Conlan, played by which real-life boxer?

Bellew later boxed a genuine world title fight in the same Liverpool stadium in 2016, the city's first outdoor bout since 1949.

The climactic Conlan fight takes place at which football ground?

Goodison Park, Everton's ground in Conlan's hometown of Liverpool; the first scene shot was during a real Everton v West Bromwich Albion match, and Stallone and Bellew are both Everton fans.

How does Adonis's title fight in Liverpool end?

Conlan wins on a split decision after twelve rounds, but Adonis knocks him down for the first time in his career and goes the distance, echoing the first Rocky-Apollo fight.

Which award did Sylvester Stallone win for playing Rocky in Creed?

Stallone won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in January 2016; he was Oscar-nominated too, 39 years after his nominations for the original Rocky, but lost to Mark Rylance.

Creed opened in the US on 25 November 2015 to mark the 40th anniversary of what?

The opening fight in the first Rocky, against Spider Rico at a Philadelphia club, is dated 25 November 1975 on screen, so Creed's release fell exactly 40 years later.

Which Swedish composer scored Creed, only the third composer in the history of the Rocky films?

Bill Conti scored five of the earlier films and Vince DiCola did Rocky IV; Göransson tips his hat with a track that quotes Gonna Fly Now.

The first Creed was dedicated to which long-time Rocky producer, who died two months after filming ended?

Robert Chartoff, co-producer of every Rocky film since 1976, died on 10 June 2015, about two months after Creed wrapped; the film closes with a dedication to him.

How many steps do Adonis and Rocky climb at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in the film's final scene?

The Philadelphia Museum of Art's east steps, the 'Rocky Steps', number 72; Adonis and Rocky climb them slowly in the final scene, echoing the original film's training montage.

Who directed Creed II after the first film's director stepped aside to make Black Panther?

Steven Caple Jr., fresh from his debut feature The Land (2016), directed Creed II; Stallone had briefly been announced as director and co-wrote the screenplay with Juel Taylor.

Adonis's opponent in Creed II is Viktor Drago, whose father did what in Rocky IV?

In Rocky IV (1985) Ivan Drago killed Apollo in the ring during an exhibition bout in Las Vegas, then lost to Rocky in the Soviet Union; Dolph Lundgren returns as a disgraced Ivan in Creed II.

Who plays Tony 'Little Duke' Evers, the trainer who corners Adonis in Creed II?

Wood Harris, Avon Barksdale in The Wire, plays Tony 'Little Duke' Evers, son of Apollo's old trainer Duke; he turns Adonis away in Creed and corners him in Creed II.

In which country has Ivan Drago been living with his son at the start of Creed II?

Ivan and Viktor live in Kyiv, Ukraine, where Ivan moved in disgrace after his loss to Rocky cost him his Soviet standing and his wife Ludmilla walked out.

How does Adonis keep his title in the first Drago fight in Creed II, despite being badly beaten?

Viktor is disqualified for hitting him while down, so Adonis keeps the belt despite a beating; he had rushed into the Barclays Center bout unprepared, training with Little Duke after Rocky refused to corner him.

What is the name of Adonis and Bianca's daughter, born in Creed II?

Amara is born deaf, inheriting Bianca's degenerative hearing condition; in Creed III she is played by deaf actress Mila Davis-Kent and spars with her father in sign language.

Where does the Creed II rematch with Viktor Drago take place?

The rematch is staged in Moscow, mirroring Rocky's 1985 bout with Ivan; Rocky and Little Duke prepare Adonis at a derelict desert camp, teaching him to absorb Viktor's power.

How does the Creed II rematch end?

Ivan throws in the towel to protect his son after Ludmilla walks out of the arena; he finally chooses Viktor's safety over the approval of Russia's elite.

Which actress reprises her Rocky IV role as Ludmilla Drago in Creed II?

Brigitte Nielsen returns as Ludmilla; she married Stallone in December 1985, the month after Rocky IV opened, and they divorced in 1987.

At the end of Creed II, Rocky travels to which city to reconcile with his estranged son Robert?

Rocky flies to Vancouver, where Milo Ventimiglia returns as his son Robert from Rocky Balboa and Rocky meets his grandson Logan for the first time.

After Creed II, Sylvester Stallone announced on Instagram the retirement of which character, staying on only as a producer?

Rocky Balboa bowed out with Creed II; Stallone posted on Instagram that the character's story was over, and he did not appear in Creed III, staying on as a producer.

In Creed III, who plays Damian 'Dame' Anderson, Adonis's childhood friend and former boxing prodigy back from prison?

Jonathan Majors was playing Kang the Conqueror for Marvel at the same time; Creed III opened the same month as his arrest for assault.

In the Creed III prologue, why does Dame end up arrested while young Adonis escapes?

Young Adonis attacks Leon, the abusive caregiver from their group home, and is overpowered; Dame pulls a gun to save his friend from a beating outside a liquor store, police arrive, and Dame is arrested while Adonis runs.

What amateur title had Dame held before prison, as recalled in Creed III?

Dame was a Golden Gloves champion, the top US amateur title, and the 2002 prologue opens with teenage Adonis watching him win a Golden Gloves bout on the night of his arrest.

How does Dame get his first title shot in Creed III?

Dame replaces Viktor Drago after Drago is attacked at a party and beats champion Felix Chavez; Adonis later sees a photo of Dame in prison with the attacker and realises it was engineered.

Why had Adonis never received the letters Dame wrote him from prison?

Mary Anne kept them from him, thinking Dame a bad influence; Adonis learns this only years later and is furious that Dame was left believing he had been abandoned.

Where is the climactic 'Battle of Los Angeles' between Adonis and Dame staged?

The 'Battle of Los Angeles' is staged at Dodger Stadium; Adonis is knocked down after flashbacks to the group home, beats the count and knocks Dame out to take the title.

Which anime series did Michael B. Jordan, directing Creed III, cite as a heavy influence on its fight choreography?

Naruto and Dragon Ball Z, plus the boxing series Megalobox and Hajime no Ippo, shaped the fights.

Creed III was the first sports film ever shot partly in which format?

IMAX billed Creed III as the first sports film shot with IMAX-certified digital cameras; cinematographer Kramer Morgenthau, returning from Creed II, used Sony Venice cameras, which carry that certification.

Which rapper executive-produced the Creed III soundtrack?

J. Cole and his Dreamville label executive-produced the Creed III soundtrack album, released in March 2023; the film's score is by Joseph Shirley, who had worked under the earlier films' composer.

Where did Creed III hold its world premiere, on its director-star's 36th birthday?

Creed III held its world premiere in Mexico City on 9 February 2023, its director-star's 36th birthday; Mexican champion Canelo Álvarez cameos in the film, and the US release followed on 3 March.

Roughly how much did Creed III gross worldwide?

Creed III grossed about $276 million worldwide on a $75 million budget, opening at number one in the US with $58 million, the best debut in the Rocky series.

Sylvester Stallone refused to watch Creed III mainly because of his feud with which producer?

Winkler bought the rights to the Rocky character from Stallone back in 1976; Stallone has called him a parasite picking clean the bones of his creations.

Which actor played Apollo Creed, Adonis's father, in the original Rocky films, appearing in Creed only through archive footage?

Carl Weathers played Apollo Creed in Rocky through Rocky IV; Stallone modelled the flamboyant champion on Muhammad Ali, and his ring nicknames included the Master of Disaster and the Count of Monte Fisto.

Who plays Buddy Marcelle, the promoter who sets up the Drago fight in Creed II?

Russell Hornsby, the father in The Hate U Give (2018), plays Buddy Marcelle, the promoter who brings Viktor Drago to Philadelphia to goad Adonis into the fight.

In Creed III, why is Adonis retired at the start of the film?

After beating Ricky Conlan in South Africa, avenging his only loss, Adonis stepped away to focus on his family; three years on he is a promoter and trainer.

Which real-life boxer plays heavyweight champion Danny 'Stuntman' Wheeler in Creed?

Andre Ward, the undefeated former super-middleweight and light-heavyweight champion, plays Danny 'Stuntman' Wheeler; fellow pro Gabriel Rosado plays Leo 'The Lion' Sporino.

In Creed, Adonis is turned down at which elite Los Angeles gym, run by the son of his father's old trainer?

Delphi Boxing Academy's Tony 'Little Duke' Evers Jr. rejects him, and Adonis is then beaten in sparring by a heavyweight champion.

Roughly how much did the first Creed gross worldwide?

Creed grossed about $174 million worldwide on a $35 million budget, with roughly $109 million of that in North America.