Creed revived the Rocky franchise with a $42.6M Thanksgiving opening

By 2015 the Rocky franchise 'seemed like a Reagan-era relic,' in Variety's phrase. MGM and New Line co-produced and co-financed a spin-off centered on Apollo Creed's son, Adonis (Michael B. Jordan), with Sylvester Stallone returning as Rocky Balboa as his coach.

The studios handed the project to Ryan Coogler, then known for 'Fruitvale Station,' and kept the budget at about $37 million. Creed opened November 25, 2015 and took in $42.6 million over the five-day Thanksgiving holiday — the second-biggest opening in the franchise's history.

Critics and audiences embraced it: reviews called the 'Rocky revival' a knockout, and box-office analysts said the franchise was having a comeback. The film had no trouble making back its budget, and its success proved the property had life beyond its original star.

Creed pulled in $42.6M over the five-day Thanksgiving frame — the franchise's second-biggest opening — and covered its $37M budget, reviving Rocky for a new generation.

The franchise looked like a relic of the Reagan era.

MGM and New Line co-financed it at about $37M.

A new protagonist, Apollo's son, carried the story.

Ryan Coogler's fresh take drew critical praise.

The $42.6M five-day opening was the franchise's second-biggest.

To revive an aging franchise, give it a new protagonist and a fresh filmmaker: a low-budget spin-off with a different hero outperformed expectations where another sequel would have risked the formula.

Creed's Thanksgiving performance cemented the comeback, with Business Insider reporting it was 'pretty certain the Rocky franchise is having a comeback.' The spin-off became the start of a new trilogy, proving that a classic IP could be handed to a new generation of filmmakers and stars rather than retired.