Michael B. Jordan’s ‘Creed III’ Soars Past Expectations—And Sets Franchise Record

Topline

Creed III grossed $58.6 million in U.S. box office sales in its debut weekend, according to MGM, beating expectations by roughly $20 million and setting a record for the franchise.

Key Facts

Creed III was expected to make between $36 and $40 million between Friday and Sunday, according to Variety.

The film had a larger domestic opening than 2015’s Creed ($29.6 million) and 2018’s Creed II ($35.5 million), according to Box Office Mojo.

Having ranked No. 1 at the weekend’s domestic box office, Creed III marks a success for Michael B. Jordan, who made his directorial debut with the film.

It ended the two-week-long reign of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which raked in $12.5 million in its third weekend, according to Disney.

Creed III cost $75 million to make, according to Variety.

Key Background

The Creed franchise is a spin-off of the hugely popular Sylvestor Stallone-led Rocky franchise that ran from 1976-2006. In the Creed movies, Jordan stars as the son of Rocky Balboa’s former rival Adonis Creed. Tessa Thompson also stars in the franchise. The third installment featured Johnathan Majors. Jordan and Majors said they want to continue to work together, mirroring the partnership between Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. Creed III has an 87% critics rating and 96% score from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. It has an A- grade on CinemaScore.

Tangent

The first Creed ultimately grossed $173.5 million worldwide during its 2015 run, and Creed II grossed $214.2 million. The original Rocky franchise’s top-grossing film—Rocky IV in 1985—made $127.8 million domestically and over $300.4 million worldwide, followed by 2006’s Rocky Balboa at $155.9 million worldwide, 1982’s Rocky III at $125 million and 1990’s Rocky V at $119.9 million. The first Rocky from 1976 made $117.2 million worldwide between its initial premiere and its 2020 re-release, well ahead of sequel Rocky II, which earned just $85.1 million globally in 1979.

Further Reading

Most Oscar Best Picture Nominees Aren’t Box Office Hits—But Blockbusters Nab More Nods Than Usual (Forbes)

‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’ Surpasses ‘Titanic’ As Third Highest-Grossing Movie Ever (Forbes)