'Creed 2' In Development; November 2017 Release Date Set For Second 'Rocky' Spinoff Movie

MGM's Rocky-inspired sports movie earned $120 million at the international box office and just won Sylvester Stallone a Golden Globe for Best Suppporting actor; so it's no surprise that MGM CEO Gary Barber has already announced "Creed 2" with a release date to boot.

Barber plans on giving the "Creed 2" movie a November 2017 release date, which is exactly two years after the Rocky spinoff starring Michael B. Jordan was released in theaters. "That's my goal," Barber said told Variety at the Golden Globes on Sunday night.

Given the planned release date, it could possibly mean that Ryan Coogler isn't directing the sequel. Coogler recently signed on to direct Marvel's "Black Panther" for a Feb. 16, 2018 release, making it almost impossible for him to helm "Creed 2" simultaneously.

Stallone predicted as much in his recent cover interview with Variety, saying "I know Ryan is going to be gone for a couple of years." 

"There's a diminishing time of acceptance of a sequel," the 69-year-old actor explained. "Three years is a little much."

Stallone also touched on "Creed 2's" potential storyline, which could be set in a past and feature Apollo Creed before his death.

"Ryan has some ideas of going forward and backward and actually seeing Rocky and Apollo together," he said. "Think of 'The Godfather 2.' That's what he was thinking of, which was kind of ambitious." 

According to Coming Soon, Coogler will remain onboard as an executive producer in the sequel and "possibly guide another young filmmaker such as himself to recapture the lighting in a bottle that they had this time out.

Coogler helmed "Creed" from a screenplay he co-wrote with Aaron Covington, based on the characters from the "Rocky" series  and produced by Robert Chartoff, Charles Winkler, Irwin Winkler, William Chartoff, Kevin King Templeton, David Winkler. It stars Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson and Phylicia Rashad.

At this point, it is unknown if Stallone will still appear in the second "Rocky" spinoff. Fans of the original film will just have to wait until further information on "Creed 2" is released.