Watch the Rocky films in order from Rocky (1976) to Rocky Balboa (2006), then the Creed films. Release order and story order are the same.
- Titles
- 9
- Films
- 9
- Watch time
- 17 hours
- Box office
- $1.68 billion
- Avg IMDb
- 7.0
Rocky & Creed movies in release order
Here is every Rocky & Creed (Creed) title in the order it came out, 1976 to 2023: 9 films.
| # | Title | Year | Type | Runtime | IMDb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rocky | 1976 | Film | 2h | 8.1 |
| 2 | Rocky II | 1979 | Film | 1h 59m | 7.3 |
| 3 | Rocky III | 1982 | Film | 1h 40m | 6.9 |
| 4 | Rocky IV | 1985 | Film | 1h 31m | 6.9 |
| 5 | Rocky V | 1990 | Film | 1h 44m | 5.4 |
| 6 | Rocky Balboa | 2006 | Film | 1h 42m | 7.1 |
| 7 | Creed | 2015 | Film | 2h 13m | 7.6 |
| 8 | Creed II | 2018 | Film | 2h 10m | 7.1 |
| 9 | Creed III | 2023 | Film | 1h 56m | 6.7 |
Release or chronological: which order is best?
For Rocky & Creed, release order and story order are the same thing: every film picks up after the one before it. There is no prequel to slot in early and no flashback to reshuffle, so the list above is the only order you need.
Where to start
Start with Rocky and go in release order.
The whole thing is 17 hours. At two hours a night that is about 9 evenings.
Every Rocky & Creed movie, explained
One entry per title in release order: what it is about, why it matters to the bigger story, who is in it and how it did.
No. 01 · 1976 · Film · 2h
Rocky
Rocky Balboa is a Philadelphia club fighter who seems to be going nowhere. But when a stroke of fate puts him in the ring with a world heavyweight champion, Rocky knows that it's his one shot at the big time — a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go the distance and come out a winner!
Why it matters: The 1976 underdog story; won Best Picture.
- Starring
- Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, and Burt Young
- Director
- John G. Avildsen
- Box office
- $117 million on a $1 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 8.1 · Rotten Tomatoes 93%
No. 02 · 1979 · Film · 1h 59m
Rocky II
After Rocky goes the distance with champ Apollo Creed, both try to put the fight behind them and move on. Rocky settles down with Adrian but can't put his life together outside the ring, while Creed seeks a rematch to restore his reputation. Soon enough, the "Master of Disaster" and the "Italian Stallion" are set on a collision course for a climactic battle that is brutal and unforgettable.
Why it matters: The rematch with Apollo Creed.
- Starring
- Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, and Burt Young
- Director
- Sylvester Stallone
- Box office
- $200 million on a $7 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 7.3 · Rotten Tomatoes 68%
No. 03 · 1982 · Film · 1h 40m
Rocky III
Following Rocky Balboa's intense battle with his most powerful adversary yet – the ferocious Clubber Lang – Rocky joins forces with former rival Apollo Creed in an effort to get back his fighting spirit.
Why it matters: Clubber Lang, and Apollo becomes Rocky's friend.
- Starring
- Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, and Burt Young
- Director
- Sylvester Stallone
- Box office
- $125 million on a $17 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 6.9 · Rotten Tomatoes 66%
No. 04 · 1985 · Film · 1h 31m
Rocky IV
Rocky Balboa holds the world heavyweight championship, but a new challenger has stepped forward: Drago, a six-foot-four, 261-pound fighter who has the backing of the Soviet Union. This time, Rocky's training regimen takes him to Siberia, where he prepares for a globally televised match in the heart of Moscow. But nothing can truly prepare him for what he's about to face – a fight to the finish, in which he must defend not only himself, but also the honor of his country!
Why it matters: Ivan Drago; his son returns in Creed II.
- Starring
- Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren, and Carl Weathers
- Director
- Sylvester Stallone
- Box office
- $300 million on a $31 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 6.9 · Rotten Tomatoes 38%
No. 05 · 1990 · Film · 1h 44m
Rocky V
A lifetime of taking shots has ended Rocky’s career, and a crooked accountant has left him broke. Inspired by the memory of his trainer, however, Rocky finds glory in training and takes on an up-and-coming boxer.
Why it matters: Rocky as a trainer; widely seen as the weakest.
- Starring
- Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, and Burt Young
- Director
- John G. Avildsen
- Box office
- $120 million on a $42 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 5.4 · Rotten Tomatoes 31%
No. 06 · 2006 · Film · 1h 42m
Rocky Balboa
When he loses a highly publicized virtual boxing match to ex-champ Rocky Balboa, reigning heavyweight titleholder Mason Dixon retaliates by challenging the Italian Stallion to a 10-round exhibition bout. To the surprise of his son and friends, Rocky agrees to come out of retirement and face an opponent who's faster, stronger and thirty years his junior. Rocky takes on Dixon in what will become the greatest fight in boxing history!
Why it matters: One more fight, 16 years later.
- Starring
- Sylvester Stallone, Burt Young, and Antonio Tarver
- Director
- Sylvester Stallone
- Box office
- $156 million on a $24 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 7.1 · Rotten Tomatoes 78%
No. 07 · 2015 · Film · 2h 13m
Creed
The former World Heavyweight Champion Rocky Balboa serves as a trainer and mentor to Adonis Johnson, the son of his late friend and former rival Apollo Creed.
Why it matters: Apollo's son Adonis, trained by Rocky.
- Starring
- Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, and Tessa Thompson
- Director
- Ryan Coogler
- Box office
- $174 million on a $37 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 7.6 · Rotten Tomatoes 95%
No. 08 · 2018 · Film · 2h 10m
Creed II
Between personal obligations and training for his next big fight against an opponent with ties to his family's past, Adonis Creed is up against the challenge of his life.
Why it matters: Adonis faces Drago's son.
- Starring
- Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, and Tessa Thompson
- Director
- Steven Caple Jr.
- Box office
- $214 million on a $50 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 7.1 · Rotten Tomatoes 83%
No. 09 · 2023 · Film · 1h 56m
Creed III
After dominating the boxing world, Adonis Creed has thrived in his career and family life. When a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy, Damian Anderson, resurfaces after serving a long sentence in prison, he is eager to prove that he deserves his shot in the ring. The face-off between former friends is more than just a fight. To settle the score, Adonis must put his future on the line to battle Damian — a fighter with nothing to lose.
Why it matters: Adonis without Rocky.
- Starring
- Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, and Jonathan Majors
- Director
- Michael B. Jordan
- Box office
- $275 million on a $75 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 6.7 · Rotten Tomatoes 89%
Rocky & Creed box office and budgets
The 9 Rocky & Creed films with reported numbers have grossed $1.68 billion worldwide on about $284 million in combined budgets, roughly 5.9 times what they cost. The biggest is Rocky IV at $300 million, 18% of the franchise's total on its own, followed by Creed III ($275 million) and Creed II ($214 million).
Measured against what it cost, the best return belongs to Rocky, which made 117 times its $1 million budget. The weakest was Rocky V at 2.9 times its $42 million budget. As a rule of thumb, a film needs about two and a half times its budget at the box office to cover marketing and the theaters' cut.
The best and worst rated Rocky & Creed movies
Across 9 rated titles, Rocky & Creed averages 7.0 on IMDb. The top of the list is Rocky at 8.1, then Creed (7.6) and Rocky II (7.3). At the bottom: Rocky V (5.4) and Creed III (6.7). Money and quality don't line up perfectly: the highest grosser, Rocky IV, is only the 7th best rated.
- Rocky8.1 · RT 93%
- Creed7.6 · RT 95%
- Rocky II7.3 · RT 68%
- Rocky Balboa7.1 · RT 78%
- Creed II7.1 · RT 83%
- Rocky III6.9 · RT 66%
- Rocky IV6.9 · RT 38%
- Creed III6.7 · RT 89%
- Rocky V5.4 · RT 31%
Who appears in the most Rocky & Creed movies
Sylvester Stallone leads with 8 appearances as Robert 'Rocky' Balboa and Robert "Rocky" Balboa, ahead of Burt Young (6) and Talia Shire (5). Counted from each title's top-billed cast.
| Actor | Role | Titles | First and latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sylvester Stallone | Robert 'Rocky' Balboa / Robert "Rocky" Balboa | 8 | Rocky (1976) to Creed II (2018) |
| Burt Young | Paulie Pennino | 6 | Rocky (1976) to Rocky Balboa (2006) |
| Talia Shire | Adrianna 'Adrian' Pennino / Adrianna 'Adrian' Balboa | 5 | Rocky (1976) to Rocky V (1990) |
| Tony Burton | Tony 'Duke' Evers / Tony "Duke" Evers | 5 | Rocky II (1979) to Rocky Balboa (2006) |
| Carl Weathers | Apollo Creed | 4 | Rocky (1976) to Rocky IV (1985) |
| Burgess Meredith | Mickey Goldmill | 4 | Rocky (1976) to Rocky V (1990) |
| Al Silvani | Cut Man / Cutman | 3 | Rocky (1976) to Rocky III (1982) |
| Michael B. Jordan | Adonis Johnson / Adonis Creed | 3 | Creed (2015) to Creed III (2023) |
| Tessa Thompson | Bianca / Bianca Creed | 3 | Creed (2015) to Creed III (2023) |
| Phylicia Rashād | Mary Anne Creed / Mary-Anne Creed | 3 | Creed (2015) to Creed III (2023) |
| Joe Spinell | Tony Gazzo | 2 | Rocky (1976) to Rocky II (1979) |
| Jimmy Gambina | Mike / Jimmy | 2 | Rocky (1976) to Rocky V (1990) |
Rocky & Creed directors and creators
5 filmmakers have directed or created Rocky & Creed; Sylvester Stallone has the most, with 4.
- Sylvester StalloneRocky II (1979), Rocky III (1982), Rocky IV (1985), and Rocky Balboa (2006)
- John G. AvildsenRocky (1976) and Rocky V (1990)
- Ryan CooglerCreed (2015)
- Steven Caple Jr.Creed II (2018)
- Michael B. JordanCreed III (2023)
How long it takes to watch every Rocky & Creed movie
All 9 titles add up to 17 hours. That is about 9 two-hour evenings, or 2 days of ten-hour binges. The longest film is Creed at 2h 13m.
The 4 best rated films: Rocky, Creed, Rocky II, and Rocky Balboa.
Everything takes about 3 weeks.
Track what you've watched on the timeline and it counts the hours left.
Common questions
What order should I watch the Rocky & Creed movies in?
Watch the Rocky films in order from Rocky (1976) to Rocky Balboa (2006), then the Creed films. Release order and story order are the same.
How many Rocky & Creed movies and shows are there?
There are 9 titles in the Rocky & Creed franchise: 9 films and 0 series, released from 1976 to 2023.
How long does it take to watch all the Rocky & Creed movies?
About 17 hours for all 9 titles, counting every episode.
What is the first Rocky & Creed title in chronological order?
Rocky, set in 1975. In release order the first is Rocky (1976).
What is the best Rocky & Creed movie?
By IMDb score, Rocky (1976) at 8.1, followed by Creed at 7.6.
What is the highest-grossing Rocky & Creed movie?
Rocky IV (1985), with $300 million worldwide. Rocky & Creed films have made $1.68 billion in total.
Who has appeared in the most Rocky & Creed movies?
Sylvester Stallone, in 8 of them as Robert 'Rocky' Balboa.
What is the longest Rocky & Creed movie?
Creed, at 2h 13m.
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