Early reviews for Creed II point to a good sequel from director Steven Caple Jr. despite not earning widespread acclaim like its predecessor. Starring Michael B. Jordan, the film follows Adonis Creed, son of Apollo Creed as he takes on Viktor Drago son of Ivan Drago, the man who killed his father in a match in Rocky IV.
The first Rocky film was an iconic piece of cinema whereas the sequels had its ups and downs. Director Ryan Coogler made a huge impact for the series with Creed which earned acclaim and an Oscar nomination for Stallone. The man who started it all, Sylvester Stallone directed Rocky II, Rocky III, Rocky IV and Rocky Balboa which can all be agreed to be relatively alright to good films. Stallone has proven to be a good director with him being initially set to direct Creed II but things went differently in that regard.
It’s a wonder what happened there as Stallone would have been eligible director to take on the project. In an interview with Toronto Sun, he explained why he stepped down from taking on directorial duties revealing that he wanted younger blood to take it on with Caple Jr. as director among other things. Stallone said:
“I was going to direct it, but I realized youth must be served. This kid (director Steven Caple Jr.) has such great vision and energy. Making this kind of film is incredibly taxing because you’re doing (the directing) and the drama. You’re doing two things. It’s at least six months shooting, maybe a year of prep, so when it’s finished, Steven will have been on this movie for two years straight.”
Well, looks like Stallone didn’t want all that responsibility either and he wants the kids to get a chance which is honestly pretty damn good. Can’t hold on to the past for too long and Stallone knows that so it’s great to know that he wants to see younger talent make a place for themselves in the industry. Creed II may not be The Dark Knight we wanted but we can probably expect great things from Caple Jr. in the future.
Source: Toronto Sun
