Michael B. Jordan has been confirmed as the director and star of the newly-announced remake ofThe Thomas Crown Affair, which could putCreed IVon hold for a few years – and that worries me. Jordan made his directorial debut withCreed III, which saw Donnie facing his troubled past when an old friend was released from prison and came after his championship title. AfterCreed IIIwas widely acclaimed by critics and became a hit at the box office upon its release in 2023, the studio wasted no time putting a fourth film into active development, with Jordan returning to direct.
But now, Jordan has signed on to direct a totally unrelated movie first. Before he moves on toCreed IV,Jordan is directingThe Thomas Crown Affairremakefor Amazon MGM Studios. Jordan is also set to star in the film and produce, alongside Elizabeth Raposo, through his production label, Outlier Society. While I’m excited that Jordan is getting more directing work after doing such a great job onCreed III, I’m concerned that hisThomas Crown Affairschedule will keep him from makingCreed IVfor a few years.
Michael B. Jordan Is Directing The Thomas Crown Affair Remake Before Creed 4
Jordan Is Focusing His Attention Away From The Creed Franchise
Jordan is set to direct, produce, and star in the newThomas Crown Affairredo, andthey’re currently looking to cast the female lead, indicating that it’s a priority project for Jordan. If he was lining upThe Thomas Crown Affairto direct afterCreed IV, they wouldn’t be casting the film so actively. Since it’s going straight into pre-production, they’re probably eyeing a shoot date in the near future. It seems likely thatThe Thomas Crown Affairwill be Jordan’s next directorial project andCreed IVis getting pushed back until he’s done with that.
Jordan’s remake will be the third cinematic iteration ofThe Thomas Crown Affair. The original 1968 heist movie classic was directed by Norman Jewison andstarred Steve McQueenand Faye Dunaway. In 1999,Die Hard’s John McTiernan remade the movie with Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo in the lead roles.Jordan has been trying to get a new remake ofThe Thomas Crown Affairoff the ground since as far back as 2016(via/Film), so it’s clearly a passion project. That means it’ll probably take precedence overCreed IV.
Creed 4 Has To Wait A Few Years Now For Michael B. Jordan
It Takes Around Two Years To Direct A Feature Film
SinceJordan is already confirmed to directCreed IV, it’ll probably be a few years before we see the nextCreedmovie.Unless the plan changes and Jordan hands the director’s chair over to another filmmaker,Creed IVwill have to waituntilThe Thomas Crown Affairis done. If another director does take onCreed IV, then they can get pre-production underway while Jordan is working onThe Thomas Crown Affair. If Jordan is just acting and not directing, then he’ll only need to find room in his schedule to squeeze in the shoot.
I’m Worried About Creed 4’s Adonis Story Based On What Happened Next In Rocky
The tragic trajectory of the Rocky franchise after the third movie is a troubling sign for where Creed 4 could take Adonis' story next.
ButJordan is just as passionate about theCreedfranchise as he is aboutThe Thomas Crown Affair, so he’ll likely want to hold onto both directing jobs. That’s perfectly fine – I’m sure he’ll do a great job with both films – but it does mean thatCreed IVwill have to sit on the backburner for a while. Directing a feature film from conception to the final edit usually takes around two years – one-and-a-half years at the very least – so it’ll probably be a long time before Jordan steps back into the world of Adonis Creed.
Creed 4 Is Moving Slower Than I Imagined After Creed 3’s Success
I Thought The Studio Would Fasttrack Creed 4 After Creed 3 Did So Well
After the blockbuster success ofCreed III, I thought Jordan and his team would get the cameras rolling onCreed IVas soon as possible. But it’s been well over a year sinceCreed IIIarrived in theaters andCreed IVis no closer to becoming a reality. Now, we’ll have to wait for Jordan to make a whole other movie before work can get started on it.Creed IVis in development, but you’d think it’d be a top priority for all involved, and that doesn’t seem to be the case.
Creed IIIbecame the highest-grossingCreedfilm with a worldwide haul of $276.1 million.
There were three years between each of the first fourRockyfilms, and Sylvester Stallone wrote and directed the first three sequels in addition to starring.Creed IIkept up this tradition, arriving just three years after the firstCreedfilm, butCreed IIIarrived five years after that. That five-year gap could partly be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused months-long delays to countless Hollywood productions. But we’re out of the pandemic now, andCreed IVis looking like it’ll take even longer.
Creed
Cast
Creed is a spin-off/continuation of the boxing drama franchise Rocky. Set years after the original Rocky series, Creed follows Adonis Johnson, the estranged son of Apollo Creed, on a journey to Philadelphia to find his father’s friend/rival, Rocky Balboa. Now training to follow in his father’s footsteps, Creed fights to become the best boxer in the world.
