Trilogies are hard. Writing fiction is challenging enough but creating a long tapestry of storylines, character moments and themes that pieces together to make a complete picture? The act of writing 3 pieces that must stand on their own as well as stand as a large story? It’s insanely hard. Think about it, we have a ton of trilogies but none that feels smoothly integrated. As a writer myself, I cannot fathom the level of forethought, talent and effort it takes to tackle such a thing. And yet, Hollywood sure loves trilogies!! For better or for worse…
As of the time I’m writing, we haven't heard much of the plot for Creed III. So far, we know that star Michael B Jordan will be making his directorial debut and Zach Baylin is working on the script. In recent developments, we know Sylvester Stallone won't be reprising his role as Rocky Balboa and Jonathan Majors, known for his roles in Lovecraft County and Da Five Bloods, joined the cast as Adonis' opponent. Still, this doesn’t mean that I don’t have thoughts or suggestions about the plot.
Now, I highly doubt that Baylin, Jordan, and crew are cruising the internet for ideas but on the chance that they are….Hi, my name is GJ Washburn. I’ve been writing for 8 years, I’ve won NaNoWriMo three times and I am reasonably priced. Feel free to contact me!
Some people are expecting this to be Rocky III Redux. Same hits, same beats, same victories. Unfortunately, Creed has already used that particular card with the 2018 movie. Victor Drago would have been the PERFECT closer for this series! He mirrors Clubber Lang quite well, a hungry fighter with a laser focus on our boy. They even have that sweet, sweet Drago family pathos with a side of Rhyming Themes. I don’t begrudge them using the Dragos in movie 2 but it did feel a bit hasty to me.
Creed II did introduce a crucial piece for the third movie, though: Russell Hornsby’s Buddy Marcelle. Buddy is an interesting character to me. He’s one of the few new players the sequel introduces and the only one who doesn’t have emotional ties to our heroes. He appears from nowhere, a knowing face in the crowd before he materializes at Adonis’ side during Bianca’s concert.
Buddy is interesting to me because he’s less of a character and more of an inciting incident. He's the call to action that sets our heroes on their journey. He whispers the doubts Adonis already had and possibly even stirred up the Drago duo’s wounded pride. He claims that he cares for the future of boxing but I don’t trust it. Not when he’s lurking around in the background.
With Buddy, the series gets a chance for their Clubber Lang as well as a new antagonist force who pits fighters against each other. The Rocky series has played with this player before, both with Apollo’s fast-talking and mind for business and Rocky V’s George Washington Duke. I personally have no doubts that Buddy wouldn’t search out or even manufacture his own Clubber Lang-eqsue fighter specifically with Adonis in mind.
So with that in mind, my pitch for Creed III
Pitch
We start the movie with Rocky’s death. With Sylvester Stallone reportedly not returning to the franchise, it feels a good time to do it. I love Stallone as much as the next 90s kid but we have to do it, okay? We need Adonis to be unmoored, similar to Rocky’s reaction to Mick’s death.
The movie opens with Rocky’s funeral. We see the news outlets covering the funeral. All of Philly is mourning and we see people paying their respects to both Adonis and Robert. During the service, the camera pans over various strangers in the crowd before it stopped on Buddy in the crowd with Majors' unnamed character beside him.
Sometime later, Adonis announces his retirement. Adonis has lost two fathers now and he wants to be there for his own child(ern) in their honor. There are no plans on when his last fight will be or who he’ll fight. Soon the debates arise regarding who he should fight. Is there anyone who can even measure up to Adonis? The man who was trained by boxing titans.
Cut to Buddy promoting his latest fighter after the funeral. He’s an unknown fighter but make no mistake, this kid is hungry for the title and has the Eye of the Tige- I’m sorry, I just had to. Adonis and Bianca are watching this and Donnie is clearly shaken, like he’s seen a ghost. We finally get the Guy’s name and surprise, he grew up with Adonis!
I did this because we know virtually nothing about Donnie’s life before he met Marianne. We know that it certainly wasn't an easy life since he meets her in Juvie. Making his opponent someone from his past gives a nice weight to the story. The series has focused mainly on Adonis living with Apollo’s shadow but now, he has to face his own past.
We even get a scene of Adonis trying to talk to Majors and he just shuts it down. After all, Adonis “Hollywood” Creed doesn’t remember anyone from the old neighborhood, right? Admittedly, this is my least fleshed-out idea but it has potential. Anyway, this guy is a beast, possibly even the toughest fighter we’ve seen. Personally, I like the idea of seeing him in action before Buddy makes an official offer.
Meanwhile, Team Creed talking about taking this fight. On one hand, we literally don’t have to do this fight. There’s no need for everyone to rehash old trauma and wounds. On the other hand, Buddy will never let our heroes rest. Adonis looks to Bianca who replies with “Let’s end this and go home”. Donnie nods. “I gotta make some calls.” Now faced with this challenging fighter and no Rocky in his corner, Donnie goes to someone who understands just what he has to do. Cut to Dolph Lungren because THE DRAGOS ARE TRAINING ADONIS!!! Cue the music because we’re going back to Russia!!
Was this choice motivated by my love of Rocky IV? A little bit but again, we have great potential here. The Dragos, Rocky, and Donnie have made a strange type of peace with each other, and besides, who else understands the battle of fighting your past? We can even give Ivan and Victor some more depth. Ivan can reveal his struggles with PTSD (Because he totally has PTSD) and Victor can discuss the need to move forward from your pain. Maybe we can see some touching moments between the Dragos to remind Adonis that he wants to be an active father to his own kids.
I’m having some problems plotting the training sequence. I have no boxing experience and each movie gets more and more low-tech. Creed II has Donnie digging a hole with a sledgehammer, for crying out loud. So far, I’m imagining a wagon full of office supplies and Adonis literally fighting a car like he’s in Street Fighter.
(Again, if Baylin and Jordan happen to see this, I am reasonably priced and have even more ideas. Contact me!)
Oh, yeah and Adonis wins, he and Majors reconcile and Bianca punches Buddy. The end!
Now, do I even think this will be Creed III? Absolutely not. I might have good ideas but I’m not sure that studio execs will think the same. I also have a strange sense of humor and this movie has to appeal to more than me and 20 other people. That being said, I tried to follow Creed’s pattern of taking elements from the original series to make a compelling new story. I also wanted to shine a brighter light on Donnie's past because it's blank slate and has such great potential.
Still, a girl can hope, right?
DenofGeek, Polygon Slashflm, Youtube [1][2][3][4]
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