Creed 3 is poised to make history as the biggest opening weekend for the Rocky franchise. The highly anticipated film marks the ninth installment in the Rocky series and the third in the spinoff series, which began in 2015. This time, the film follows Michael B. Jordan’s Adonis Creed as he enters the ring with his childhood friend and ex-convict, Damian Anderson, played by Jonathan Majors. Fans of the franchise may be surprised by this new direction, as “Creed 3” is the first film in the series to not feature Sylvester Stallone’s iconic character, Rocky Balboa. In fact, Jordan is not only reprising his role but also making his directorial debut with this film.
According to Deadline, the first box-office projections for Creed 3 are out ahead of its release, and the movie is expected to have an opening weekend of $38-40 million. This would be a record-breaking opening for the Rocky franchise, surpassing the previous high of $35.5 million.
How Creed 3’s projected opening weekend stand up against the Rocky franchise
The projected opening weekend of Creed 3 being the highest in the Rocky franchise shows the spinoff series’ success, but inflation needs to be considered when comparing box office numbers from different decades. For example, Rocky IV’s opening weekend grossed just under $20 million in 1985, which would be approximately $55 million today when adjusted for inflation.
Inflation is not a significant factor when comparing Creed 3’s projected opening weekend to its predecessors in the spinoff series. Released during the Thanksgiving holiday in 2015 and 2018, the first two Creed movies earned $29 million and $35 million respectively over the weekend. If the projections for Creed 3’s box office performance hold true, its opening weekend will surpass its predecessor as the highest in the Rocky franchise’s history. This is a real possibility, given the overwhelmingly positive reviews for Creed 3.
