When Rocky Balboa premiered in 2006, it seemed like that would be the end for the classic Rocky franchise after six installments. However, the Italian Stallion’s story was not over. Nearly a decade after Rocky Balboa, the series made a comeback in the form of legacy sequel Creed, which moved Rocky to a supporting role as he trained Adonis Creed, the son of his rival-turned-friend Apollo Creed. Creed was one of the most successful films of 2015, earning widespread acclaim and $174.1 million at the worldwide box office (against a budget of $35-40 million). It received two follow-ups, which were also hits, and now the series is taking over streaming.
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For the week of June 1st-7th, Creed III was the No. 2 movie on Netflix globally. During that time, it accumulated 7.9 million views and was watched for a total of 15.4 million hours. This was the first week Creed III placed in the streamer’s top 10, and it wasn’t the only Creed film that cracked the list. The first Creed came in 10th with 4.5 million views and 10.1 million hours watched.
Why The Creed Movies Are Big Hits on Netflix
All three Creed movies were added to the Netflix library this month, which could explain why two of them were in the top 10 this past week. Fresh arrivals are frequently the most-watched titles, as subscribers like to browse the home page to see what’s new. High-profile sports dramas like the Creed films are going to stand out and be huge draws, especially now. Michael B. Jordan’s star has only risen further since the Creed movies first came out, as he won an Oscar this year for his performance in Sinners, adding to Creed‘s appeal.
It also helps that the Creed films are of very high quality, ranking among the best that the entire Rocky franchise has to offer. Both Creed and Creed III have strong Rotten Tomatoes scores (95% and 89%, respectively), with much praise being given to their nuanced storytelling, compelling performances, and stylish filmmaking. These films reinvigorated the franchise with a fresh perspective and energy, returning the series to the more grounded roots of the 1976 original. Retroactively, they enhance arguably the most cartoonish of the Rocky movies (Rocky IV) by adding a layer of tragedy to Apollo’s death. While the Creed films aim to be serious tonally, they still have plenty of flair; Jordan made his directorial debut on Creed III and used his love of anime to stage some visually interesting set pieces (the final showdown between Adonis and Damian).
It’s interesting to see that Creed II is the lone entry of the trilogy that didn’t crack the top 10. It earned positive reviews (83% on Rotten Tomatoes), but the response wasn’t quite as enthusiastic when compared to the other two. After the first Creed was a breath of fresh air, the general feeling was that Creed II stuck a little too close to established franchise formula, basing its narrative around Adonis fighting the son of Ivan Drago. That said, Creed II is definitely worth watching. Perhaps its greatest contribution to the franchise is making Drago a much more well-rounded character, a stark contrast from the over-the-top villain in Rocky IV.
As the Creed movies perform well on streaming, fans might be wondering if there will ever be a fourth installment. Jordan is open to making Creed IV, but he isn’t sure when it will happen. He doesn’t want to rush into anything, preferring to be patient and make sure there’s a great story in place worth telling. Considering how successful the Creed movies have been, it would be a shame if a new entry fell short of the high standard the first three set. Hopefully we’ll see Adonis back in the ring at some point, but in the meantime, the whole Creed trilogy (which tells a complete, satisfying story) is right there to binge.
