Sylvester Stallone’s comeback hit “Creed,” which is now set for a sequel, shot three different endings with three different outcomes for its climactic bout, sources said.
Stallone revealed this week that the movie, which has made $104 million domestically, will spawn a follow-up film — although it’s unclear whether visionary indie director Ryan Coogler, 29, who’s lined up Marvel movie “Black Panther,” will be back. But insiders told us Stallone was involved in a crucial decision that set up the sequel before anyone knew “Creed” would be a breakout.
“They shot the ending three different ways” for three different outcomes to the final fight, said a source familiar with the project.
The movie stars Michael B. Jordan as the boxer son of Rocky Balboa’s rival Apollo Creed. The spy further said, “The way the fight ends in the movie is not how it was originally planned.”
In late 2014, Stallone was accused of accidentally giving away the ending during production when he tweeted a shot that included a visible final page of the script, with the caption, “Where the screenwriting is done.” (Without giving it away, we’ll just say the finished film does not end the same way as the tweet showed.)
Meanwhile, Oscar insiders tell Page Six that Stallone is now the front-runner in the race for Best Supporting Actor, against potential competition like last year’s comeback sensation Michael Keaton as well as Mark Rylance, Christian Bale and Idris Elba. “Sly did not expect the film to be this successful,” said a pal.
Stallone said at Patsy’s Italian restaurant this week of “Creed,” “This was going to be a hard sell. It was going to be a new drama by a young, visionary director with young, great actors. And I’m supporting it. I’m now Burgess Meredith.”
But even with all the Oscar buzz, a source said, “He’s excited for the Golden Globes . . . It’s what he cares about right now.” Stallone, up for the best supporting actor award on Sunday, has never won a Globe and hasn’t been nominated since 1977, when he was up for best actor and screenplay for the original “Rocky.” Reps didn’t get back to us.