As Michael B. Jordan prepares to unveil his starring/directorial debut with Creed III, the headliner shares the valuable advice he sought from actors who made a similar behind-the-camera transition.
While the upcoming spinoff threequel continues the legacy of the Rocky franchise with its very existence, it also sees Jordan further follow in the footsteps of Sylvester Stallone by fielding double duty as star and director. However, it will be Jordan's first time in the director's chair, which makes for a trial by fire, seeing as Creed III continues a hit blockbuster franchise. Thus, he utilized advice from actors who made a similar transition, as he recently explained during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. "One of the greatest advices I got was from Bradley Cooper and Jon Favreau," he revealed. "They was basically like, 'Get your first shot off as quickly as possible.'"
Michael B. Jordan's Directorial Debut
While the advice might seem simple enough, it proved invaluable to Jordan when it came to the tough task of maintaining a daily pace. "Like, it's one of the -- It can slow down your entire day," he said, explaining the damaging habit of procrastination. "You know, if you don't get that first shot off very early, you're probably not going to make your day. So, as soon as you get it off, the train is rolling and the machine just won't stop, so you'll more than likely get more shots than you [would]."
Contextually, Cooper made a major splash with his debut as star/director with 2018's A Star is Born remake, and Favreau -- whose directorial CV spans back to the 1990s -- fielded an array of hits and has become a creative fulcrum for the Star Wars franchise on the small screen as the creator of The Mandalorian. Yet, Creed III has Jordan swimming in the deep end, both dramatically and technically. Besides bringing the pressure of a directorial debut, the film will go without the gravitas of Stallone's Rocky Balboa. Moreover, it will be the first entry manifesting entirely on its own stakes, with Adonis pit against an antagonist from his own past, Damian Anderson (Jonathan Majors), a childhood friend who -- having served a prison sentence -- has a long-standing grudge he wishes to settle in the squared circle.
Creed III's Boxing Style
Since climactic boxing matches tend to provide the most memorable moments in the Rocky/Creed films, Jordan knew that his onscreen scrap with Majors had to be something special. "You can shoot a boxing match so many different ways," he told Fallon. "I think 'cause I was kind of put in a corner, it kind of forced me to be more creative and really find -- like, think outside the box of how to make the fights different." The personal element apparently matched the spectacle since Majors recently affirmed Jordan's capabilities as star/director. "As director, he also pushed my instrument in a completely different direction," he said.
While details on the film's pugilistic sequences remain tightly kept, Jordan recently divulged that Creed III reflects his own interest in anime, of all things. "There are artistic choices that were influenced by my passion for anime that we brought into the boxing and training sequences," he said. "With boxing anime like Hajime No Ippo, I really love the inner dialogue of what’s going on and happening in the ring from the characters."
Creed III steps between the proverbial ropes to hit theaters on March 3, 2023.
Source: The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon via YouTube