A spinoff of Rocky centering on the family of Apollo Creed almost sounds like some kind of joke pulled by The Onion, but it's a real thing and has some incredible talent behind it. Not only is it a reunion of Fruitvale Station director Ryan Coogler with star Michael B. Jordan, but the Italian Stallion himself, Sylvester Stallone, will also be a part of it. And now you can add Dear White People and Selma star Tessa Thompson to the list of reasons why Creed could be a knockout.
Thompson will take the female lead in the boxing drama, although it's unclear exactly what that entails. Doubtful she'll be lacing up the gloves, too. The film will follow the grandson of Apollo Creed, Rocky Balboa's former nemesis-turned-friend who was killed in the ring by Ivan Drago. The younger Creed has been living off the family name without using his natural talent to the fullest extent, but Balboa reluctantly agrees to be his trainer to help him go to the top.
Thompson recently won a Gotham Award for her fiery performance in Dear White People, and has been nominated for a Black Reel Award and NAACP Image Award. Having her join the talented duo of Coogler and Jordan should be enough reason to start taking Creed seriously as a dramatic effort, rather than just some cash-grab exploiting the Rocky franchise. This isn't going to be Grudge Match (which Stallone was also part of), folks. [Deadline]
