Creed 3 opening at the theaters on 3 March, 2023, is headed for the biggest opening weekend in the history of the Rocky franchise.

the first box-office projections have surfaced. Per Deadline, Creed 3 is headed for an opening weekend in the $38 million to $40 million range. If Creed 3 opens to anything above $35.5 million, it would be a record-high debut for the Rocky franchise.

As the ninth overall installment in the Rocky series and the third in the spinoff series that started in 2015, Creed 3 finds Michael B. Jordan’s stepping into the ring with a childhood friend and ex-convict, Damian Anderson (played by Jonathan Majors). The film is a notable deviation for the franchise, as it is the first not to feature its creator Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa, and following in his former co-star’s footsteps, Jordan makes his directorial debut with Creed 3.