Hollywood has set a precedent where a film's commercial success is often followed by its transformation into a franchise to maximize profitability. Following suit, Michael B. Jordan has broadened the horizons of the Creed series to now include an anime.
According to a post from Michael B. Jordan's Instagram account, the upcoming anime short is set to air exclusively in Japan on May 26, following the theatrical release of Creed III.
Hi Japan! We made a special anime as a surprise for Japanese fans that will play at the end of the film. Creed 3 opens in theaters in Japan next weekend. Get your tickets now to see what it’s all about.
The Creed anime, which is under the direction of Yo Moriyama, better known for the TMS Entertainment hit boxing anime, Megalobox, will have its script penned by Katsuhiko Manabe and Kensaku Kojima. As of writing, there is no information if it's coming to other countries.
It's no secret that Jordan is a big sucker for anime. The acclaimed 36-year-old actor, who made his directorial debut with Creed III, shared how anime has inspired his filmmaking, saying:
Without nerding out too much... You've seen so many fights throughout the Rocky and Creed franchise, and I really wanted to put my spin on it, you know?
How to make these fights different, and you know, from Hajime no Ippo, to Megalo Box, to Naruto, to My Hero Academia, all of those different anime that I watched growing up, there's an inherent spirit to them in how they fight...
Earlier this year, Creed III made its highly anticipated debut and was met with praise from both critics and audiences. With a production budget of $75 million, the film managed to amass $273.8 million in global box office earnings.
This also marked the first time in the series that Sylvester Stallone, who joined the franchise in the '70s with Rocky, did not appear on screen. However, the action veteran contributed to the film in the capacity of a producer.
