Michael B. Jordan demonstrated his directorial skills with Creed III, the third installment of the Rocky franchise spinoff. Now, producer Irwin Winkler has revealed that Jordan will not only continue to make an impact in front of the camera but will also return to direct a fourth Creed movie.
Creed III was a resounding success and resonating with critics, who rated it highly, as well as with audiences. It grossed over $275 million against a $75 million budget. With that number, it became the highest-grossing Creed movie ever. Given that performance and the fact that studios exist to make money and will try their best to wring as much value as they can get out of every IP, it was only a matter of time before they greenlit another entry.
Winkler confirmed Creed IV was in the works and revealed Jordan's return at the helm on Saturday while speaking at Deadline's Contenders Film: Los Angeles event. He also revealed the project has been in development for some time and already has a good story and plot. Winkler further revealed they would have made more progress but for the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. He was optimistic that pre-production will begin in one year.
While Winkler's revelation is great news for fans of the Creed franchise, it is not the first time we will hear of another Creed installment. In February, Jordan said to IGN that his character's story is not over yet. Then, in March, Deadline reported that Amazon, following its acquisition of MGM Studios, was planning to expand Creed into its own cinematic universe, complete with a live television series and an anime series, led by Jordan.