New Drago Spinoff Detail Promises How It Will Be Different From All 9 Rocky & Creed Movies

Summary The Drago spinoff will be darker than the Rocky and Creed films, bringing a new tone to the franchise.

Dolph Lundgren and Florian Munteanu have agreed on the script, aiming to start filming in 2025 if possible.

The Drago movie will explore a timely and topical story of Ivan and Viktor moving to the US following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Florian Munteanu has promised that his upcoming Drago spinoff film will be a lot darker than the Rocky and Creed movies, 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 the Drago spinoff 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, because Drago was back on track in early 2023. Although the studio was focusing primarily on the Creed films, Lundgren confirmed that Drago was 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 average Rocky film.

Drago's Darker Tone Will Separate It From Rocky & Creed Movies

The Rocky franchise has had dark moments, but it's never been "dark" per se

Munteanu, who debuted the Viktor character opposite Michael B. Jordan in Creed II, has given Screen Rant an update on the Drago spinoff. 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 the Drago spinoff. Munteanu also teased the tone of the new movie, which will be “slightly darker” than the other Rocky films.

The Rocky and Creed movies have had a few dark moments, like Apollo Creed’s death in Rocky IV or Damian’s relentless pummelings in the ring in Creed 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 the Drago spinoff. It’s not in line with the rest of the franchise’s entries, but it would feel disingenuous to Ivan and Viktor’s characters to give them a sappy, schmaltzy, lighthearted movie like Rocky or Creed. These characters started out as villains. Creed II made them more sympathetic by showing that the events of Rocky IV made the family a national disgrace, but they’re still cold-blooded characters. It makes sense for the Drago movie to be darker than its predecessors.