Jonathan Majors Starred in “Creed 3” debut weekend eyes in $36–40M
On March 3, Jonathan Majors and Michael B. Jordan will enter the ring. The urge to take on a significant task brought these two actors together as they fought it out in the boxing thriller “Creed III,” the ninth installment in the sprawling series that began with “Rocky” by Sylvester Stallone in 1976.
Jonathan Majors and Jordan enter a Hollywood production while joking about and tapping their toes to Kendrick Lamar’s music. They appear every bit as the Ascending Star and The King of Hollywood.
At Michael B. Jordan's Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony, Jonathan Majors calls Jordan "Michael B. Handsome" and says that "Creed I" inspired him to get an Equinox membership. https://t.co/79wWzRmXHd pic.twitter.com/i2US6JgLN4
— Variety (@Variety) March 1, 2023
While his feature debut Creed III seems likely to dethrone current box office leader Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Michael B. Jordan is on track to start his first weekend as a filmmaker at the top of the heavyweight rankings.
As one of the lowest-rated movies in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe), The Little Avenger has endured harsh criticism, which could have affected its box office performance.
In its opening weekend, Creed III is anticipated to bring in between $36 million and $40 million, which would be a trilogy high.
It would be sufficient to outperform Ant-Man and the Wasp, which is anticipated to earn between $16 million and $19 million in additional revenue during its third weekend of theatrical release. Phase Five of the MCU’s first movie, a chapter of the Multiverse Saga, has made $170 million nationally and $366 million worldwide.
When the first Creed, directed by Ryan Coogler, came in 2015 to both critical and widespread acclaim, it revived the Rocky franchise for a new generation.
It got charged with introducing Donnie alongside Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), the brave underdog Philadelphia boxer. It earned $29.6 million in its first weekend, while Creed II, its 2018 prequel, earned $35.5 million.
It remains to see how Stallone’s absence will ultimately affect Creed III, the first entry in the expanded Rocky franchise not to include him.
Nonetheless, the third chapter has been well received by critics, who have praised director Neil Jordan and the visceral action, consisting of an IMAX scene shot inside a boxing ring. The Rotten Tomatoes rating for the movie is 91% favorable.
Creed III has all of that and more for Jonathan Majors, who says that finding “the challenging aspect” in the roles he plays is what has propelled him to success.
When we initially met at Mike’s house, Majors reflects, “I guess the first thing Mike said was, ‘When we get into the ring, this must feel and look like two gladiators.”
Each man who worked on “Creed III,” which hits theatres on Friday, seized the opportunity their talent and professional success afforded them to create characters and tell a story that deeply reflected their real-life experiences.
In doing so, they helped create a great film franchise that is distinctly theirs. Their intensely competitive natures had different expressions on the soundstage.
