‘Working with Tessa and Sly is a treat’

After a long wait of three years since Creed was released, finally Creed II is all set to hit theatres in India on November 30. The highly anticipated movie stars Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Wood Harris, Phylicia Rashad and Dolph Lundgren. Here’s Michael B Jordan in conversation with us about the film and more…

Looking back, why do you think Creed was embraced by audiences and critics?

Director Ryan Coogler did an incredible job of building a new world inside the Rocky franchise that Sly created. Creed was a very personal story for Ryan because it reflected elements of his relationship with his father and his love for the Rocky films. The action was there, too.

What would you say about the theme of Creed II?

I’d seen Rocky IV, but I made a point to re-watch it and study the characters and the nuances of their relationships with one another – Apollo’s boxing match with Drago that killed Apollo, how it affected Rocky, and the epic match in Moscow. I was looking forward to paying homage to that legacy and moving it forward with the next generation. 

What were your initial impressions of Florian Munteanu, who is a professional boxer?

I remember when I first met Florian I thought, damn, this guy is huge– and that I better put on a lot of muscle to match up with him. As I got to know Florian, I realised he’s a really sweet guy and very humble. He works hard and wants to do well. You get to know someone really quickly when you’re facing him in the boxing ring – learning the choreography, the moves and punches. We both care a lot about our families, so we have that in common as well. We just clicked. 

What was it like filming under harsh conditions in a desert? 

We filmed in a desert town in New Mexico for two days, but it was an intense two days. It was very hot and dusty, and in the middle of nowhere. Those filming days came near the end of production, so we were already extremely tired, and eager to push through to the finish line. 

Did you, Sylvester Stallone and Tessa Thompson all pick up where you left off on the production of Creed?

We had stayed in touch in the years between the two films, but when we began work on this one, we were immediately reminded why we like each other so much. Working with Tessa and Sly is always a treat. 

There’s a lot of emotion and drama in Creed II.  Do you enjoy playing those scenes? 

Yes, very much.  It feels like I’m growing up on-screen, just like Adonis is. There are several things Adonis is going through that I have gone through, as well, so to experience those emotions was a lot of fun to play.