I was just watching that Simpsons episode the other day in which Bart refers to a seventh Rocky movie, Rocky VII: Adrian’s Revenge. While that movie won’t ever exist (at the time the episode first aired in 1995 there wasn’t even a Rocky VI yet, which we finally got in 2006), it looks like we will get to see a movie that is kind of like Rocky VII from writer/director Ryan Coogler, Creed, a movie that focuses on what happened to Apollo Creed’s family after his death in Rocky IV. Apollo is, of course, Rocky’s opponent in Rocky and Rocky II and trainer in Rocky III and was played by the incomparable Carl Weathers.
In an interview with IGN to promote the UK release of Fruitvale Station, Coogler spoke about the current status of the project, which has the full support of Rocky creator Sylvester Stallone, who will play Rocky again in a supporting role.
Coogler admits that part of the fun of making the movie would be to catch up with Rocky Balboa in his even older age, but the main goal is focusing on a corner of Rocky’s world that hasn’t been explored. He says, “Rocky is such a great character and I think it would be cool to see him again. But more than anything I’ve always been interested in supporting characters. It might just be growing up and seeing people that look like me always relegated to the side, always playing support.”
As for where the idea of the movie came from and what it would cover, Coogler points to the first Rocky film as an inspiration. He explains:
“When I watch the first one now, I’m really fond of him. Obviously he was based on Muhammad Ali, and if you did a poll of everyone’s favourite athlete, Ali still wins. So he was based on this charismatic guy – outspoken and things – but also I think that Stallone when he wrote that script was playing with stereotypes a little bit… you’ve got this black dude who is successful as an athlete, he’s also very intelligent and a very smart character. Our film is basically about what happened to this dude’s family. Where is his family right now? I feel like if you look at that, it would be ‘What if Muhammad Ali had died in the ring and he was 40-years-old? What would happen to his family?’ That is kind of what the movie is.”
Coogler is still working on the script and its expected that Michael B. Jordan, who starred in Fruitvale Station, will star as Apollo Creed’s grandson, who embarks on a boxing career. Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff, who have produced every Rocky film, will also produce the spinoff. As a long-time Rocky fan I think it’s a pretty awesome idea, and if you want to know why I feel that way, well, go here!
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