STACK Nov #133

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M ichael B. Jordan is polishing off a burger,
wiping the ketchup from his face when we
meet at a Hollywood photographic studio.
Even though he completed filming his role as
underdog boxer in Creed back in April, food remains
a delicious novelty after the strictly disciplined
regimen he endured to get into shape.
“I set the bar high because Carl Weathers was so
shredded in all those movies,” he says.
Those movies would be Rocky, one of the most
beloved franchises in movie history. Written and
conceived by Sly Stallone, the 1976 original received
10 Oscar nominations, three wins, and launched
Stallone as a serious contender.
The first film told the story of how underdog
Rocky beats nemesis and world heavyweight champ
Apollo Creed, played by Carl Weathers. Over the
course of the franchise, the two men bond, until
Creed is finally KO-ed in Rocky IV (1985).
Fast forward to 2015 and Creed, which introduces
audiences to Apollo's son, Adonis Johnson, played
by Jordan. His father died before he was born, but
boxing is in his blood and he persuades Rocky to
come out of retirement to train him.
“The first time I even met Sly, he began teaching
me to shadowbox right there,” recalls Jordan. “He
punched me in my chest. I was like, 'ooh, he’s still
got a bite to him'. He was really collaborative, and
very open and excited about it. When it comes to
fighting, he’s a real boxing historian. He can name all
the fights and rounds in precise detail.”
A longtime fan of the Rocky movies, writer-
director Ryan Coogler began plotting the idea for
Creed even before he began filming his award-
winning drama Fruitvale Station with Jordan.
Reluctant to proceed without Stallone’s blessing,
he never even dreamed that Sly would consider
co-starring.
“I’d been such a fan for so many years, I
imagined when I met Sylvester Stallone, I’m gonna
meet Rocky,“ says Coogler. “But he’s so different
from that guy. He turns it on. He transforms. He
gets on set, he goes over to the corner, and gets
into his walk with all the Philadelphia speech and
vocabulary. But the real Sly? He’s a very academic
and serious guy. We are blessed to have him in our
corner.” Gill Pringle
Creed is in cinemas on November 26.
visit NEWS EXTRAS
010 OCTOBER 2015
FAMILY AFFAIR
In Creed, Rocky Balboa comes out of retirement to
train and mentor a new champion.
MIDDLE-EARTH
MARATHON
The Hobbit, Peter Jackson's epic prequel trilogy to
The Lord of the Rings, reached its Middle-earth-
shaking conclusion last year in The Battle of the
Five Armies. And like all previous films in both The
Hobbit and LOTR sagas, an Extended Edition follows
the release of the cinema version onto DVD and Blu-
ray. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
– Extended Edition will feature 20 minutes of
additional footage, bumping up the running time
to 164 minutes. The 5-disc DVD, Blu-ray and 3D
Blu-ray release, also available in a Limited Edition
with a Bilbo and Gandalf statue, features nine hours
of bonus content including audio commentary by
Jackson and co-producer/writer Philippa Boyens, a
multi-part documentary, and more. Moreover, the
extended cut of the film has been classified MA15+
for 'Strong Fantasy Violence', which we're assuming
means some bloodier battle scenes amongst
the new footage. The completion of the trilogy's
extended cuts also means a box set that will contain
all three films, which will sit nicely beside the LOTR
set. For the record, the 9-disc Extended Trilogy
collection includes The Hobbit: An Unexpected
Journey (182 mins), The Hobbit: The Desolation of
Smaug (186 mins), The Hobbit: The Battle of the
Five Armies (164 mins) plus bonus features for each.
So let the Middle-earth marathon begin! Although
be aware that watching all six films in Jackson's
Tolkien saga back to back will consume 1,214
minutes (or 20.23 hours) of your time.
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
- Extended Edition and The Hobbit Trilogy -
Extended Edition will be available at JB Hi-Fi
on November 18.
D V D A N D B L U - R AY AVA I L A B L E 1 8 T H N O V EMB E R AT *while stocks last
Strong horror
violence and
coarse language PLEASE DON’T FEED THE CHILDREN