Creed is a 2015 American sports drama film directed by Ryan Coogler, who co-wrote the screenplay with Aaron Covington. It is the first spin-off of and is the seventh installment in the Rocky film series. It stars Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, Tony Bellew, and Graham McTavish. In the film, amateur boxer Adonis Creed (Jordan) is trained and mentored by Rocky Balboa (Stallone), the former rival turned friend of Adonis' father, Apollo Creed. Although Rocky Balboa (2006) was considered the end of the franchise, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) hired Coogler in 2013 to develop a Rocky spin-off.[4] Coogler and Covington's original screenplay was completed by April 2014,[5] with the involvement of Jordan and Stallone also confirmed.[6] The remaining cast were hired by January 2015, after which, principal photography began and lasted until that April, with filming locations including Liverpool, Philadelphia, and Gainesville, Georgia.[7] Creed had its premiere on November 19, 2015, at the Regency Village Theater in Los Angeles and was released in the United States on November 25, by Warner Bros. Pictures, to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the date of the opening scene in the first film. It grossed $173 million worldwide and received acclaim from critics[8] who praised Coogler's direction, the screenplay, and acting performances. Among its accolades, it was selected by National Board of Review as one of the top ten films of 2015, while Stallone won the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor, the Critics' Choice Award for Best Supporting Actor, and Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. The film was followed by Creed II (2018) and Creed III (2023). The film is the first film in the franchise to have been produced by Sylvester Stallone.