The gloves are off and Creed III has made its presence known across the globe. The latest installment in the Rocky Balboa spin-off franchise chronicles the story of Adonis "Donnie" Creed (Michael B. Jordan) in an epic battle of lost love, loyalty, and broken brotherhood with his childhood friend Damian "Diamond Dame" Anderson (Jonathan Majors). It's clear Jordan's directorial debut did not struggle to hit with audiences after grossing a loud and proud $100.4 million at the global box office with around 5.3 million people hitting theaters to get a ring-side seat.
The boxing drama took an estimated $41.8m from over 75 overseas markets including the UK, France, Germany and Italy. Meanwhile, it made the bulk of its takings in a confident $58.7 million from North American markets. Marking a truly triumphant opening weekend for Creed III, the takings earned the film its well-earned place as the number-one film globally and internationally for the weekend. Adding to the growing list of accolades, the movie is now the biggest international opening of any movie in the Creed franchise. Tipped to be the most expensive film in the franchise, Creed III had a $75 million budget behind it and it looks like the risk is on track to pay off.
Although the film was naturally anticipated by Rocky fans, it also garnered interest more widely as the first-ever sports film to be shot in stunning IMAX. Offering striking visuals both in and outside of the ring, Creed III was responsible for $9.6 million of the global IMAX box office, with international markets accounting for $3.1 million of the total. Speaking to the impact of the film being shot in IMAX, CEO of Imax Rich Gelfond said: “Michael B. Jordan went deep with our technology to create a visceral, absorbing experience and audiences responded, turning out to IMAX in outsized numbers for the first sports movie ever shot with our cameras."
'Creed III' Is a Hit With Fans and Critics
The film has earned widespread approval from fans and critics alike, earning a 96% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite carrying a half-a-decade legacy on his shoulders, Jordan went out on a limb and brought fresh perspective to the franchise. This included embracing his love of anime and integrating it within the venture. As well as including slow-motion-style shots depicting Donnie's razor-sharp senses, anime was also pulled on when it came to wardrobe. In fact, Donnie's signature Creed-branded shorts were created on the back of Akira protagonist Shotaro Kaneda's signature red attire.
You can grab your ring-side seat Creed III in theaters now. In the meantime, you can watch the trailer below.