Summary
Florian Munteanu has promised that his upcomingDragospinoff film will be a lot darker than theRockyandCreedmovies, which could take the franchise in an exciting new direction. A spinoff movie centered around Dolph Lundgren’s villain Ivan Drago has been in development since November 2021. It was officially announced by MGM in July 2022. Robert Lawton was tapped to write the screenplay, which would reportedly revolve around Drago’s untold backstory. The announcement of theDragospinoff created a minor controversy when franchise creator Sylvester Stallone claimed he wasn’t consulted about the project.
Lundgren reached out to Stallone and they seem to have reached an amicable agreement, becauseDragowas back on track in early 2023. Although the studio was focusing primarily on theCreedfilms, Lundgren confirmed thatDragowas still in development.The story now revolves around Ivan and his son Viktor emigrating from Russia to the United States following their country’s invasion of Ukraine, so it sounds more timely and topical than the averageRockyfilm.
Drago’s Darker Tone Will Separate It From Rocky & Creed Movies
Munteanu, who debuted the Viktor character opposite Michael B. Jordan inCreed II, hasgivenScreen Rantan update on theDragospinoff. He confirmed that he and Lundgren are happy with the latest script draft and they’re hoping to get the cameras rolling in 2025 if the stars align. The actor said he’s “the most excited” to work on theDragospinoff. Munteanu also teased the tone of the new movie, which will be “slightly darker” than the otherRockyfilms.
TheRockyandCreedmovieshave had a few dark moments, like Apollo Creed’s death inRocky IVor Damian’s relentless pummelings in the ring inCreed III. But they’re not generally considered to be dark in their material.Most of the entries in this franchise are upbeat and lighthearted; they usually take a crowd-pleasing, inspirational turn in their third act.Drago’s darker tone will help to separate it from these previous movies.
The Drago Spinoff Is Right To Tell A Darker Story Than The Franchise Has Before
It would feel disingenuous to make a lighthearted Drago film
Taking a darker tone is the right direction for theDragospinoff. It’s not in line with the rest of the franchise’s entries, butit would feel disingenuous to Ivan and Viktor’s characters to give them a sappy, schmaltzy, lighthearted movie likeRockyorCreed. These characters started out as villains.Creed IImade them more sympathetic by showing that the events ofRocky IVmade the family a national disgrace, but they’re still cold-blooded characters. It makes sense for theDragomovie to be darker than its predecessors.
Rocky
The Rocky franchise follows boxer Rocky Balboa’s rise from underdog to champion, and later, Adonis Creed’s journey to honor his father, Apollo Creed. The films chronicle Rocky’s several rises and falls, and both it and the Creed series deal with their titular character’s internal and external struggles both in the ring and out.
