Entertainment

Where Could the Franchise Go From Here?

Published

6 days ago

March 19, 2023

Michael B. Jordan, Amazon and MGM are planning a Creed-verse following the success of Creed III, but what will it include?

Here we go! Everyone loves a well-crafted sports film that can feature epic comeback stories and moments that will have audiences cheering as if they were watching the sport live. No line of films has done this better than the Rocky franchise, and the sequel into the Creed films has been seamless, to say the least. Michael B. Jordan has taken the mantle like no other actor could, and the success of the recently released Creed III seems to be proof that audiences think so. With the third installment (ninth overall) grossing nearly $200 million at the box office, the franchise has become more popular and profitable than ever — and MBJ plans to take it even further, with Amazon and MGM recently sharing a “creed-verse.”

However, Jordan hasn’t given any explicit details about what this future might hold, merely implying that the projects could be bigger and more complex than just a simple sequel. So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at what some of these future projects could be.

Anime series

Believe it or not, this idea can come to fruition much sooner than some might think. Loyal fans of MBJ will know that he is a huge anime fan, even stating in an interview that his directing style is Creed III was heavily influenced by anime shows like Naruto and Drangonball: Z. Not only does Jordan’s love of anime as a fan make this possible, but Jordan has had several prominent voice acting roles for anime shows/movies including the series Gene: Lockas well as the voice of Cyborg Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox.

So what exactly could an anime be Rocky/Believe be series? Well, it could just be a continuation of the franchise in animated form, but that seems a little too unnecessary (especially since more theatrical sequels are a big possibility). Instead, the anime series could have something to do with the MCUs What if…? Show (which Jordan also lent his voice to for his role as Kilmonger) in which each episode explored a different scenario featuring characters from the Rocky/Creed franchise. What if Rocky won the first fight against Apollo? Or what if he ended up losing to Clubber Lang again Rocky III? What if Drago never killed Apollo? With nine films’ worth of footage, it’s easy to see how an anime series can explore so many different possibilities.

Live Action Series

Even if the franchise doesn’t expand into anime, it could very easily transition to the small screen for a live-action series instead. Just like an anime series, the live-action series could possibly pick up from exactly where Creed III quit and be a proper sequel, but that still seems too easy when future movies are imminent. Instead, a live-action series could take the time to further expand on characters or locations that fans already know but haven’t quite gotten the spotlight they deserve.

An example might be a series about Delphi Boxing Academy, the gym Donnie runs at Creed III and his father Apollo’s gym. Such a series could allow the franchise to still be driven by the boxing element but move away from the Rocky/Creed narrative and give the spotlight to other boxers (actors) for a change. It would also give Tony “Little Duke” Evers (played by Wood Harris) a chance to be a main character in the series rather than a supporting character.

Amara Creed sequel

One of the most popular and logical ways to keep the franchise going and still allow it to keep the Creed title would be a sequel starring Donnie’s daughter Amara. In the latest film, Amara is portrayed as a seven-year-old girl who not only isn’t afraid to stand up for herself, but also takes a keen interest in her father’s boxing career. At the end of the film, Donnie remarks on how deeply Amara really cares about the sport, and it perfectly illustrates how she could be the one keeping the Rocky/Creed dynasty going.

Not only would this be logical from a story point of view, but the addition of Amara’s character, who is deaf, could have a huge cultural impact in terms of representation. Watching a deaf fighter in the ring and knowing she can’t hear the people in her corner in the middle of a round would certainly make for some incredible POV sequences. It would add great hurdles to the character that she could no doubt overcome, just like her mother and father.

Drago spin-off

While the projects listed above are really just speculation, This particular project is the only one known to be in any form of development. Despite Viktor Drago’s villainous role in Creed II, he makes a surprise return in Creed III with a much larger role to play than just a small cameo. Aiding Donnie on his way to reclaiming the title, he is attacked by one of Damien’s men, resulting in him losing his own chance at the title. Due to his new role in the latest film, it has been speculated that the Drago spin-off film could be some sort of revenge story about Drago getting back at Damien for attacking him.

However, there have been conflicting reports stating that a revenge storyline for the Drago spinoff is unlikely to be on the horizon, thanks in particular to Viktor’s character development from Creed II To Creed III. Instead, rumors have suggested that the Drago spinoff could be a potential prequel series centered around the story of Viktor (or possibly Ivan) and how they became the boxers they were before they ever met Rocky or Donnie stepped into the ring.

Sylvester Stallone’s return

That’s what all die-hard Rocky fans and probably many Creed fans are hoping for. Sylvester Stallone has openly said he wants some rights back to the character, and he wasn’t in Creed III. But the character lives on, and in February, Sly released some notes about a treatment he’s had for a new Rocky movie. Could Jordan smooth things over and bring Sly back to the masses? It would be nice, that’s for sure, since everything in the Creed/Rocky universe stems from Stallone’s original characters and ideas. It is what it is.

Regardless of what the spin-off will ultimately be about, it’s conclusive to say that the Rocky/Creed franchise is far from complete and they’ve laid the groundwork for many future projects. The question isn’t which project will fans get in the future – but how many?

Entertainment

SEC Charges Soulja Boy, Lindsay Lohan & More In Crypto Scheme

Published

23 mins ago

March 24, 2023

Kate Curtis

Lil Yachty, akon, no yo, And Soulja boy are among eight celebrities indicted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on allegations of violating securities laws in promoting cryptocurrencies.

The list also includes Lindsay LohanAnd Jake-Paulas well as singers Austin Mahone and adult movie star Kendra Lustthe SEC in a press release Wednesday.

Eight celebs are being indicted by the SEC for allegedly violating laws while promoting crypto

The charges come amid a larger investigation into crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun along with three of his companies: Tron Foundation Limited, BitTorrent Foundation Ltd. and Rainberry Inc., which has marketed securities of crypto assets under the Tronix (TRX) and BitTorrent (BTT) brand names).

The eight celebrities are said to have “illegally promoted TRX and/or BTT without disclosing the fact that they were compensated for it and the amount they were compensated,” according to the SEC.

The SEC complaint alleges that Sun told the eight celebrities not to disclose their makeup to promote TRX and BTT on their social media platforms. SEC Chairman Gary Gensler said, “This case again demonstrates the high level of risk investors face when crypto-asset securities are offered and sold without proper disclosure.”

“As alleged, Sun and its companies not only targeted US investors with their unregistered bids and sales and raked in illicit proceeds of millions at the expense of investors, but also coordinated wash trading on an unregistered trading platform to to create a misleading appearance of active trading in TRX. Sun also prompted investors to buy TRX and BTT by orchestrating an ad campaign in which he and his celebrity promoters hid the fact that the celebrities were being paid for their tweets.”

As of Thursday (March 23), all of the indicted celebs, with the exception of Soulja Boy (aka DeAndre Cortez Way) and Malone, have reached settlements with the SEC seeking “more than $400,000 in disgorgement, interest and penalties to settle the charges.” include. without admitting or denying the SEC’s findings.” according to the agency.

“With the exception of Cortez Way and Mahone, the celebrities indicted today have agreed to pay a total of more than $400,000 in disgorgement, interest and penalties to settle the charges without admitting or denying the SEC’s findings.”

Sun manipulated the market via “wash trading” and pocketed $31 million in proceeds SEC states

Authorities allege Sun manipulated the market for these cryptocurrencies through what is known as “wash trading,” which the SEC defines as a process that “involves the simultaneous or near-simultaneous buying and selling of a security to make it appear actively traded.” to leave without actually changing Beneficial Possession.”

From April 2018 to February 2019, Sun “allegedly instructed his staff to execute more than 600,000 wash trades of TRX between two crypto-asset trading platform accounts under his control.”

He is also accused of earning $31 million in proceeds from illegal and unregistered sales of the token on the secondary market, the SEC reports.

“While we are neutral on the technologies at issue, we are far from neutral when it comes to investor protection,” said Gurbir S. Grewal, director of the SEC’s Enforcement Division. “

According to the SEC complaint, Sun and others mislead investors by first offering securities without complying with registration and disclosure requirements before manipulating the market for the securities in question.

Sun reportedly paid celebs — all of whom have massive followings on social media — to promote the unregistered crypto offerings, while also specifically telling them they would not disclose their compensation.

Entertainment

Big Shark trailer released from The Room’s Tommy Wiseau

Published

25 mins ago

March 24, 2023

Kate Curtis

Oh hello, shark. Watch the new trailer of Big Shark, the first film directed by Tommy Wiseau since the cult classic The Room.

Shark films are a dime a dozen, especially with Schlock-Like Jersey Shore: Shark Attack, Sand Sharks, Ghost Sharks, and so much more. But what happens when Tommy Wiseau, the visionary director of The room, aiming for the ocean’s most fearsome predator? Tommy Wiseau posted one new trailer for Big Sharkthis is sort of the first film he’s directed since the release of The room twenty years ago.

The Big Shark The trailer cuts between shots of New Orleans with two boxers fighting in a gym while the lyrics read: “you can run You can hide. But that won’t save you. The world’s most vicious hunter has come to the bayou and wants only one thing…blood.The film stars Tommy Wiseau as Patrick, Isaiah LaBorde as Tim and Greg Sestero as Georgie, three firefighters tasked with saving New Orleans from a killer shark.

Accordingly diversity, Big Shark will premiere on April 2nd at the Cinema 21 in Portland, Oregon. More screenings will follow, with “a tentative schedule of engagements presented by the Prytania Theaters at Canal Place in New Orleans (April 28 and 29), the Balboa Theater in San Francisco, California (May 5 and 6), the Landmark Westwood in Los Angeles ( June 2nd and 3rd) and Angelika’s Village East in New York City (August 10th, 11th and 12th).“Tommy Wiseau is said to be planning to appear in person at these ‘pre-premier’ screenings, with the roadshow theatrical release running for eight months before finally the ‘official Final Cut version’ is released. The first teaser trailer for Big Shark was actually released four years ago, so this has been a long time coming.

As someone who has never dealt with the whole phenomenon around it The roomI doubt Big Shark is really for me. I can not imagine that Big Shark will awaken the same passion that drove forward The room cult star, but many Tommy Wiseau fans were excited to see him return to the director’s chair.

What do you think of the new trailer? Big Shark? will you watch

Entertainment

Lil Baby Shows Off Rare Virgil Abloh Maybach Estimated At $250K

Published

26 mins ago

March 24, 2023

Kate Curtis

Little baby shows a rare addition to his car collection. The 28-year-old rapper recently announced that he has acquired a Maybach designed by the late designer Virgil Abloh.

Lil Baby showed off his Virgil Abloh Maybach on Instagram

The 28-year-old took to Instagram earlier this weekend to share a short video with his fans. In the video, a beige leather suitcase is opened. It reads: “VIRGIL ABLOH, 1 OF 150”.

Inside the trunk was a replica Maybach with a black top and peanut butter-colored bottom.

As the camera pans up, viewers are greeted with a real-life version of the Maybach parked in a driveway. The camera then pans around the car, giving viewers a full view.

Lil Baby later took to his Instagram Story to share a selfie of himself standing next to the Maybach.

Social media is reacting to the addition of Lil Baby to his car fleet

The official Mercedes Benz Instagram account in the United States responded with a brief comment on Lil Baby’s video. (Maybach is part of the Mercedes-Benz car family, acc car and driver.)

“Eye candy 🍬”

Fellow rapper G Herbo also shared his reaction to Lil Baby’s new wheelset.

“S**tttt🔥”

Pierre “P” Thomas, the CEO of Quality Control Music – the record label Lil Baby is signed to – also shared his reaction to the car.

Yes, yes, n***a, we’re in 😎

More details on the Maybach designed by the late Virgil Abloh

According to an April 2022 article published via car and driverThe 2023 Mercedes Maybach S680 is a Maybach sedan in “Limited Edition”. It was also the “last collaboration between Mercedes and the late Virgil Abloh.”

Virgil Abloh is known for his “expansive approach” to shaping and shifting the “traditional luxury industry” to “hypebeast culture,” as reported by The New York Times. Additionally, the outlet credits Abloh with redefining “the meaning of ‘fashion’ itself.”

As reported by car and driverAbloh worked with Mercedes Chief Design Officer Gorden Wagener on the project, and the car’s design was “completed before Abloh’s death.”

The Mercedes-Maybach S680 features a two-tone paint job, with the top of the car being obsidian black. As well as a “Tan Shade” on the bottom. In addition, the vehicle’s “monobloc wheels” feature the same tan hue.

The two-tone color scheme continues in the interior, even the “infotainment system” has the same design.

Mercedes-Maybach S680 by Virgil Abloh (2022) pic.twitter.com/qxzaVpkenn

— Outlander Magazine (@StreetFashion01) April 8, 2022

According to the April 2022 report, only 150 Mercedes-Maybach S680s were produced worldwide. The emblem on the trunk seen in Lil Baby’s video seems to confirm that he owns the first of the 150 models.

Aside from that, car and driver has since reported that the Mercedes-Maybach S680 is valued at around $250,000.