Creed II

A direct sequel to Rocky IV

Creed II picks up where Rocky IV left off in 1985. Ivan Drago, again played by Dolph Lundgren, killed Apollo Creed in an exhibition before losing to Rocky in Moscow. Thirty years on, disgraced and left by Ludmila (Brigitte Nielsen, also back), he has turned his son Viktor into a punching machine. Stallone co-wrote the script with Juel Taylor. Ryan Coogler, busy with Black Panther, stayed on as executive producer and handed directing duties to Steven Caple Jr.

A real boxer opposite Michael B. Jordan

Stallone wanted a European heavyweight for Viktor Drago and found Florian Munteanu, a German boxer of Romanian descent born in Würzburg in 1990, through training videos posted online. At 6 ft 4 in, his guard, his right hand and the way he cuts off the ring come from the gym. Andre Ward, 2004 Olympic gold medallist and former two-weight world champion, plays Danny Wheeler, with Jim Lampley, Michael Buffer and a Roy Jones Jr. cameo.

What a boxer will recognise

The first Viktor fight shows the price of a bad game plan against a heavier man: Adonis wants to trade, takes the body shots and leaves with broken ribs. The second half is about rebuilding: a desert camp far from modern gyms, core work to absorb body punches and a plan to survive the early rounds. The fear of getting back in the ring after a beating is handled honestly.

Production and reception

Shot from March to June 2018, mostly in Philadelphia's Port Richmond, the film opened in the US on 21 November 2018. It grossed $115.7 million domestically and about $214 million worldwide on a $50 million budget, scored 81% on Rotten Tomatoes and earned an A CinemaScore, like the first film.