The career trajectory of Michael B. Jordan is truly impressive. He went from child actor to director getting to be in front and behind the camera of Creed 3. Following the third chapter of the boxing movie, Jordan's next directing gig is all lined up and I can’t wait to see the magic touch he’ll put on it.
Directing Creed 3 may have been “the hardest thing” Michael B. Jordan has ever done (especially while wearing a mouthguard), but it was well worth it. Jordan’s directorial debut film was the highest-grossing Creed film in the trilogy and got praiseworthy reviews. Well, The Wire actor’s time as a director certainly isn’t over as he’s got a next directing project lined up. Deadline confirms that while Jordan was already set to star and produce The Thomas Crown Affair, he’ll also be the remake’s new director! I’ve got to say that I can’t wait to see what the American actor/director will do with this Amazon MGM Studios project.
The Thomas Crown Affair is one of the best heist movies out there. The 1968 movie starred Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway about a bored millionaire who conducts a bank robbery only to be caught up in a cat-and-mouse game with a beautiful investigator. It was remade in 1999 starring Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo. With the first movie scoring two Academy Award nominations and its remake earning positive reviews and big box office numbers, Michael B. Jordan will no doubt continue the romance heist movie’s success. Not to mention, I’d like to believe he’ll make sure not to wear an ugly suit like Brosnan did playing Thomas Crown.
When Creed 3 scored Michael B. Jordan as its director, he had plenty of support for his first time behind the camera. He took advice from Denzel Washington and Bradley Cooper who’ve both starred and directed their own projects. They both told Creed 3’s first-time director about finding your “groove” and your pace within your movie as well as the superpower of being able to “self-correct” your own performance in the moment. The ability to bring your vision to a movie you star in can help give you creative control over areas you want to focus on as well as a deeper connection to the film’s story, your cast, and crew.
Michael B. Jordan did an amazing job creating his epic boxing scenes as well as filming a Rocky training montage where you can really see Adonis Creed’s athletic transformation before stepping in the ring. What really impressed me were the scenes outside of the ring that brought a lot of heart to the boxer’s story like heartwarming moments with his young daughter. He was also brilliant at further developing Tessa Thompson’s character, Bianca, who not only brings encouragement to her husband but navigates a new role in the music industry with her record label. With Jordan giving a magic touch to Creed 3, he’s sure to do the same for The Thomas Crown Affair.
After Michael B. Jordan already had one successful directing project with Creed 3, I can’t wait to see the personal vision he’ll bring to a classic like The Thomas Crown Affair. We’ll get to see his acting range playing a billionaire thief engaging in a sexy cat-and-mouse game as well as his excellent directorial skills coming into play once again for the upcoming Amazon MGM Studios film.
With no release date yet for the heist remake, you can watch Creed 3 on your Amazon Prime subscription. Both versions of The Thomas Crown Affair are also available for free on Tubi.