It’s not that long to go before the latest episode, Creed, in the Rocky saga hits the shelves. Not only that, 2016 is the 40th anniversary of the first in this incredible journey. With that, we give you some great facts about the latest in the series as well as some bits from our previous meetings with Rocky…
| 1 | Enduring legend. |
| 1 | New legacy. |
| 2 | Oscar nominations earned by Sylvester Stallone for his 1976 breakout film Rocky – Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay – making him just the 3rd person in Academy history to be nominated for both the same year, after Charles Chaplin and Orson Welles. |
| 2 | Films on which Creed director Ryan Coogler and star Michael B. Jordan have collaborated, the first being Coogler’s award-winning 2013 drama Fruitvale Station. |
| 2 | Fierce opponents who became close friends – Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed – a connection that is reawakened when Adonis Johnson (Jordan), the son Apollo never knew, convinces Rocky to stand in his corner as he fights for his own identity as a boxer. |
| 3 | High-level professional boxers whom Jordan faced in the ring to authentically portray Adonis’s trajectory as a fighter: Liverpool’s ABA heavyweight champion Anthony Bellew as “Pretty” Ricky Conlan; Olympic Gold Medalist Andre Ward as Danny “Stuntman” Wheeler; and Philadelphia’s own Gabriel Rosado as Leo “The Lion” Sporino. |
| 4 | Onscreen boxing matches choreographed by stunt coordinator Clayton Barber in close collaboration with Coogler – and with invaluable input from screen fight veteran and boxing expert Stallone – each of which tells a distinct story within Adonis’s trajectory as a fighter. |
| 4½ | Minutes in which the intensity of Adonis’s fight against Leo “The Lion” Sporino is captured in a continuous single-camera take (a “oner”) – requiring tight coordination between Coogler, the actors, Barber and cinematographer Maryse Alberti to pull off. |
| ±5 | Age – or, as far back as Coogler can remember – when he watched the first of many Rocky films with his father Ira, who had his own personal connection to the saga. |
| 6 | Rocky films released across 30 years – Rocky (1976), Rocky II (1979), Rocky III (1982), Rocky IV (1985) and Rocky Balboa (2006) – all six written by Stallone, who directed all but two, with Rocky director John W. Avildsen returning to direct Rocky V. |
| 7 | Days Jordan and Rosado spent blocking and rehearsing Barber’s intense fight choreography to attain the precision needed for the Johnson/Sporino match. Steadicam operator Ben Semanoff took boxing lessons to meet the challenge of continuous filming while weaving between the two performers. |
| 10 | Oscars for which Rocky was nominated, with the film taking Best Picture; Richard Halsey and Scott Conrad winning for Best Film Editing; and John G. Avildsen winning Best Director at the 1977 Academy Awards ceremony. |
| 10 | Months during which Jordan rigorously trained and followed a pro athlete’s diet to attain the skills, physique and mindset of Adonis Johnson and believably perform in the ring against real life pro boxers. |
| 13 | Takes to capture the breathtaking Johnson/Sporino fight sequence in a single unbroken shot, with the 11th take ultimately ending up on screen. |
| 15 | Brutal rounds Rocky lasted in the ring with world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed in the original Rocky, ultimately losing the fight but winning a victory for underdogs everywhere. |
| ±15 | Days actor and musical artist Tessa Thompson spent working with Ludwig Göransson, the film’s Swedish-born composer, along with a number of guest artists, to collaborate on the songs performed in the film by her character, the singer/songwriter Bianca. |
| 21 | Tracks on Göransson’s dynamic score for Creed, which combines symphonic elements with modern production and beats, infused with interpolations of “Gonna Fly Now,” Bill Conti and Carol Connors’s Oscar-nominated Original Song from Rocky. |
| 27 | Age at which Coogler pitched a skeptical Stallone on his idea to tell a new story from the Rocky mythology that would explore Rocky’s relationship with Apollo’s forgotten son; it would take two years of work and a leap of faith by Stallone for the filmmaker to realize his vision for Creed on the streets of Rocky’s home city of Philadelphia. |
| 30 | Age at which Sylvester Stallone, determined to make Rocky his way, turned down a lucrative offer for the rights to his screenplay, inspiring producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff to take a chance on the young actor/writer in the title role he would make iconic. |
| 72 | Stone steps at the entrance of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where the legendary training sequence in Rocky was captured guerilla-style by Steadicam pioneer Garrett Brown, who filmed while racing up the steps with Stallone before anyone could stop them. |
| 2006 | Year Sylvester Stallone gave his own emotional goodbye to the iconic character he created and embodied across three decades with his acclaimed 2006 film, Rocky Balboa. |
| 2012 | Year Coogler, fresh out of film school, made his debut film, Fruitvale Station, on a shoestring budget across 20 days of principal photography in his native Oakland, California. |
| 2013 | Year Fruitvale Station swept the top prizes at the Sundance and Cannes Film Festivals, and went on to resonate with critics and audiences alike, opening the door for Coogler to realize his vision for Creed. |
| 2015 | Year Coogler assembled the cast and crew in Philadelphia, PA, to film on location at iconic landmarks from the Rocky saga and explore different parts of the city to shape a new legacy with Creed. |
| 2016 | Date that audiences across UK can experience Creed, from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures, in association with New Line Cinema, when the film opens in cinemas everywhere. Creed is available on Blu-ray™, DVD and Limited Edition Steelbook from May 16th. |
