Instead of continuing to come up with excuses to get an aging Rocky Balboa back in the ring, Creed finally lets Sylvester Stallone’s boxer-with-a-heart-of-gold outside the ropes. This time around, Rocky reluctantly agrees to train Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan), the son of his late friend and one-time rival, Apollo Creed. Though he never met his father, Adonis feels he’s got something to prove, so you better believe this one will be chock-full of fist-pumping training montages. Reuniting Jordan with Fruitvale Station director Ryan Coogler, Creed also stars Dear White People’s Tessa Thompson and Phylicia Rashad. Creed opens in theaters everywhere on November 25, but The A.V. Club and Warner Bros. have an opportunity for you to see it for free on Thursday, November 19. For your chance to catch an advance screening, simply follow the link here and enter the code AVC1119CREED. Remember: Advance screenings are often intentionally overbooked, so be sure to arrive early if you want to guarantee yourself a seat. An official plot synopsis and trailer for the film can be found below.
Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan) never knew his famous father, world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed, who died before he was born. Still, there’s no denying that boxing is in his blood, so Adonis heads to Philadelphia, the site of Apollo Creed’s legendary match with a tough upstart named Rocky Balboa. Once in the City of Brotherly Love, Adonis tracks Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) down and asks him to be his trainer. Despite his insistence that he is out of the fight game for good, Rocky sees in Adonis the strength and determination he had known in Apollo—the fierce rival who became his closest friend. Agreeing to take him on, Rocky trains the young fighter, even as the former champ is battling an opponent more deadly than any he faced in the ring. With Rocky in his corner, it isn’t long before Adonis gets his own shot at the title…but can he develop not only the drive but also the heart of a true fighter, in time to get into the ring?