Creed III had the biggest box office opening for a sports film of all time after earning an estimated $58.7 million domestically. The movie pulled in another $41.8 million overseas bringing its total above $100 million worldwide. Studios projected the latest installment in the Creed franchise to bring in just $30 million. The hot start puts it on pace to surpass the previous two entries in the series. Creed earned $109.8 million while Creed II brought in $115.7 million.
“This is beyond all of our expectations. And we knew that we had something special — we tested the movie and it tested great, but the public responded so resoundingly to it,” Erik Lomis, MGM’s head of distribution, told the Associated Press. “Everything went right here starting with the movie itself … It was just up to us not to break it when they gave it to us and we didn’t.”
The Cast Of "Creed III"
Creed III follows Michael B. Jordan's titular character as he's thriving in his career and family life until the return of Damian, a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy. Damian is played by Jonathan Majors, who explained why he chose the part during a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly. “The thing that got my attention was how he [Jordan] was pitching it, with so much passion and clarity, and that this would be a character coming in who we’ve not seen before,” Majors said. "I thought it was a huge opportunity to join the franchise, and also to work alongside Michael and learn everything he’s experienced in his twenty-plus years of working in this industry.”
The film is also Michael B. Jordan's directorial debut as well as the first film in the franchise that doesn’t star Sylvester Stallone. The legendary Rocky actor is still credited as a producer on the project as is the first film's director, Ryan Coogler. It also stars Tessa Thompson, Wood Harris, and more. The film was boosted by a soundtrack from Dreamville as well.
[Via]