The first trailer for Creed, the forthcoming Rocky spin-off film, has been released.
The spin-off finds Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa acting as trainer and mentor to Adonis Creed, the son of his former boxing rival, Apollo Creed. The Wire‘s Michael B. Jordan co-stars as Apollo, while Tessa Thompson (Selma) and Phylicia Rashad (The Cosby Show) appearing in supporting roles.
Director Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station) shot the spin-off earlier this year at various locations in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and England. Fans of Everton FC are set to appear as extras in the film after crowd scenes were taped at the club’s stadium.
The film’s official plot synopsis teases:
“Adonis Johnson (Jordan) never knew his famous father, world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed, who died before he was born. Still, there’s no denying that boxing is in his blood, so Adonis heads to Philadelphia, the site of Apollo Creed’s legendary match with a tough upstart named Rocky Balboa. Once in the City of Brotherly Love, Adonis tracks Rocky (Stallone) down and asks him to be his trainer. Despite his insistence that he is out of the fight game for good, Rocky sees in Adonis the strength and determination he had known in Apollo – the fierce rival who became his closest friend.”
“Agreeing to take him on, Rocky trains the young fighter, even as the former champ is battling an opponent more deadly than any he faced in the ring. With Rocky in his corner, it isn’t long before Adonis gets his own shot at the title… but can he develop not only the drive but also the heart of a true fighter, in time to get into the ring?”
Creed will be Stallone’s first outing as the infamous character since 2006’s Rocky Balboa, which had revived his popular boxing film franchise after a 16-year hiatus. The original Rocky film won the Best Picture prize at the 1976 Academy Awards.
Creed is set to be released on 27th November. Watch the trailer below.
