Creed III (2023)
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A retired boxing champion must confront his past when a former childhood friend and boxing prodigy emerges from prison to challenge his legacy.
The story
In the present day, accomplished and recently retired boxer Adonis "Donnie" Creed has stepped away from the ring to focus on his wife, his daughter, and his role as a mentor at the Delphi Boxing Academy. His peaceful life is disrupted when his childhood friend and former boxing prodigy, Damian "Diamond Dame" Anderson, is released from prison. Dame, seeking to reclaim his lost glory, reconnects with Donnie and demands a path back into the professional circuit. As Donnie navigates the complexities of his past and his current responsibilities, the reappearance of his old friend forces him to confront a history they both shared in a group home years ago.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The story begins in 2002, where Donnie and his friend Dame were in a group home. After a violent incident at a liquor store, Dame was arrested and the two lost touch. In the present, Donnie is a retired champion and mentor. When Dame is released from prison, he seeks Donnie's help to return to boxing. Donnie eventually allows Dame to fight as a replacement for an injured opponent, Viktor Drago. Dame wins the title using dirty tactics, leading to a rift between the two. After the death of Donnie's adoptive mother, Mary-Anne, Donnie discovers the truth about their shared past: the man they fought in 2002 was an abusive caregiver. Realizing Dame's actions were fueled by manipulation and their shared trauma, Donnie decides to come out of retirement. He faces Dame in the 'Battle of Los Angeles' at Dodger Stadium. In a grueling final round, Donnie overcomes his memories of their shared past to knock out Dame and reclaim the championship, eventually reconciling with his old friend.
- First release year
- 2023
- Runtime (minutes)
- 116
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English; American Sign Language
- Directors
- Michael B. Jordan
- Writers
- Keenan Coogler · screenplay; Zach Baylin · screenplay; Ryan Coogler · story; Keenan Coogler · story; Zach Baylin · story
- Cast and characters
- Michael B. Jordan · Adonis "Donnie" Creed; Tessa Thompson · Bianca Taylor-Creed; Jonathan Majors · Damian "Diamond Dame" Anderson; Wood Harris · Tony "Little Duke" Evers; Mila Davis-Kent · Amara Creed; Florian Munteanu · Viktor Drago; Phylicia Rashad · Mary Anne Creed
- Genres
- sports drama
- Themes
- brotherhood; trauma; redemption
- Tone and mood
- gritty; intense
- Setting
- Modern day Los Angeles and various locations including a gym and a stadium.
- Premise and plot tags
- sports; boxing; drama
- Source material / true-story basis
- Rocky franchise
- Franchise connections
- Creed
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews from critics for its direction, story, performances, and fighting sequences, and was a box office success.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 73 · scale: 100 · review count: 62
- Awards and nominations
- Best Performance in a Movie · MTV Movie & TV Awards · 2023 · nomination; Best Viral Campaign for a Feature Film · Golden Trailer Awards · 2023 · nomination; Best Picture · Hollywood Critics Association Midseason Film Awards · 2023 · nomination; Best Actor · Hollywood Critics Association Midseason Film Awards · 2023 · nomination; Outstanding Director · Black Reel Awards · 2024 · nomination; Outstanding Lead Performance · Black Reel Awards · 2024 · nomination; Outstanding Supporting Performance · Black Reel Awards · 2024 · nomination; Outstanding Soundtrack · Black Reel Awards · 2024 · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film is the first in the series not to feature Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa.; The fight choreography was influenced by anime series like Naruto Shippuden and Dragon Ball Z.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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