Michael B. Jordan tapped to star and direct Creed IV, confirms famed film producer Irvin Winkler… who is in the midst of feud with Rocky’s Sylvester Stallone

Film producer Irwin Winkler confirmed that there will indeed be a Creed IV and not only will Michael B. Jordan be back in the lead role of Adonis Creed, he will also be returning to the director’s chair.

“We are now planning to do Creed IV,” Winkler revealed Deadline’s Contenders Film: Los Angeles event on Saturday. ‘We have a very good story [and] really good plot. We have suffered some delays due to the strikes, but we will start pre-production in about a year.’

When the 92-year-old Winkler confirmed that Jordan will indeed return to directing after directing Creed III (2023), he praised him: “He did a great job – he was comfortable with the camera.”

The announcement by the famed film producer comes in the wake of the tensions that now exist between himself and Rocky creator/star Sylvester Stallone.

The longtime Hollywood leading man has criticized Winkler and called for him to give him an ownership stake in the Rocky and Creed franchises.

Tensions: The announcement by the famed film producer comes in the wake of tensions now existing between himself and Rocky creator/star Sylvester Stallone

The 77-year-old Stallone performs like a heavyweight champion in his criticism of Winkler and the ownership situation.

‘I would love to [to] I have at least a little WHAT IS LEFT of my RIGHTS back before I pass it ONLY to YOUR CHILDREN – I think that would be a FAIR gesture,” Stallone wrote in an Instagram post in July 2022, as reported Through The Hollywood Reporter.

Stallone called this a “sore subject” and admitted that the situation “ate[s]my soul because I wanted to leave something of Rocky for my children.”

Stallone created the Rocky Balboa character in 1975 after seeing a fight between Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner, and wrote the first draft of the script for the original Rocky film in just three days.

The then relatively unknown actor played a bit hard with United Artists when he turned down a six-figure deal for the film rights and refused to let the film be made without him in the lead role.

Ultimately, United Artists agreed to cast Stallone as Rocky Balboa, but as he said in a 2019 interview with Variety, he had “no ownership of Rocky.”

“It was shocking that it never happened, but I was told, ‘Hey, you got paid, so what are you complaining about?’ “I was furious,” he said at the time.

Stallone appeared in all six Rocky episodes and then reprized his role as an aging former boxer in Creed (2015), which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

Hit hard: ‘I would really like to [to] I have at least a little WHAT IS LEFT OF MY RIGHTS back before I pass it ONLY TO YOUR CHILDREN – I believe that would be a FAIR gesture,” Stallone wrote in an Instagram post in July 2022; the actor is depicted in the iconic scene from Rocky (1976)

Stallone and Winkler are seen in 2000

The first Rocky spin-off, directed by Ryan Coogler from a script he co-wrote with Aaron Covington, was a hit with fans, grossing $173.6 million at the worldwide box office against a budget of $35-40 million.

In addition to Jordan in the title role as Adonis Creed and Stallone, the cast also includes Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad and Anthony Bellew.

Not long later, Stallone would collaborate with Juel Taylor on the screenplay for Creed II (2018), which was ultimately directed by Steven Caple Jr.

The spin-off sequel was a bigger hit than its predecessor in terms of making money, grossing $214.1 million at the box office against a $50 million budget.

Not only did Jordan return as the lead for Creed III (2023), he also made his directorial debut with the film.

Rocky spin-off: After receiving a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for Creed (2015), Stallone co-wrote Creed II (2018) with Juel Taylor

Bona fide hit: With Jordan as star and director, Creed III (2023) topped the first two films at the box office, grossing $275.3 million behind a $75 million budget

This latest installment in the franchise, which now spans nine films between Rocky and Creed, is the first in the series not to feature Sylvester Stallone in his iconic role of Rocky Balboa, although he was credited as one of the producers.

Despite losing the star of Stallone’s name from the marquee, it topped the previous two installments, grossing $275.3 million behind a $75 million budget.

Once again, pre-production for Creed IV is expected to start in 2024.

So far, there has been no official word on whether Stallone will reprise his role as Rocky Balboa.