UPDATED with Dolph Lundgren comments: Dolph Lundgren, who famously played Drago in Rocky IV and Creed II has weighed in on the Stallone/Drago spin-off controversy, writing on Instagram that there’s no deal in place and that he was under the impression Stallone himself would be involved in the movie. Check out the post below:
UPDATE: Sylvester Stallone struck a knockout blow to MGM’s proposed Creed spin-off Drago, slamming producer Irwin Winkler, with whom he’s engaged in a feud over the rights to the Rocky franchise. On Sly’s Instagram, he referred to Winker as “the PATHETIC 94 year old PRODUCER” and claimed they were “once again picking clean THE BONES of another wonderful character I created without even telling me.” He also called out Dolph Lundgren, writing, “I have nothing but respect for Dolph but I wish HE had told me what was going on behind my back.… Keep your REAL friends close.”
Check out the Instagram post here:
A few hours later, he posted even more – calling Dolph out once again:
Stay tuned for more on this from JoBlo…
ORIGINAL POST: A new Creed spinoff is in development at MGM titled Drago. Screenwriter Robert Lawton (Crave, Sex & Sushi) is getting into the squared circle for the newly-announced project, though the plot remains under wraps. According to reports, the film centers on Ivan Drago, the Russian boxer who defeated and killed Apollo Creed in Rocky IV. Portrayed by Dolph Lundgren, Drago returned to the Rocky franchise in 2018 for Creed II, starring Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone. In Creed II, Ivan Drago coached his son, Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu), in a fight against Rocky Balboa’s protégé Adonis Creed (Jordan). Jordan will soon reprise his role for Creed 3, which he will star in and direct.
Trained by some of Soviet Russia’s most determined coaches, Ivan Drago is an Olympic gold medalist turned boxer. His heart rate and punching strength are continuously monitored by high-tech equipment during training sessions, and his workout regimen is inhumane. Drago rarely speaks throughout his appearance in Rocky IV, but every word is a death threat when he does. Rocky was warned against getting into the ring with Drago after the Russian wrecking ball hit Apollo so hard that he died from the impact of the behemoth’s mighty fists.
Lawton won a Nicholl Fellowship in 2021 for the spec script Becoming Rocky, which examines the making of Stallone’s Rocky and how it launched an unforgettable franchise.
“I’m incredibly humbled and grateful for this opportunity, and I’m approaching it as an enormous fan of the ‘Rocky’ franchise, who happens to be a screenwriter,” Lawton said in a statement to Variety. It’s unclear if Lundgren or Florian Munteanu, who portrayed Viktor Drago, will reprise their roles in the Creed spinoff Drago.
What do you think about MGM’s plans to launch a Creed spinoff? Do you believe Lundgren will return for the project? Let us know in the comments section below.
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