Dolph Lundgren: 'Drago' spinoff on hold for 'Creed IV'

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- Dolph Lundgren said plans for a spinoff of his Rocky and Creed character are in flux as the studio focuses on Creed IV.

Lundgren told UPI last year he was waiting for a script for Drago. Now, he says, Amazon MGM Studios is focusing on their Creed franchise. Creed III opened in March.

"What happened was Creed III did very well," Lundgren told UPI in a Zoom interview Thursday for his new movie, Wanted Man. "So Creed IV became a priority."

Lundgren played Russian boxer Ivan Drago in 1985's Rocky IV. In 2018's Creed II, Ivan brought his son, Viktor (Florian Munteanu) to the United States to challenge Rocky's (Sylvester Stallone) protege, Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan).

"Part of what they were trying to figure out was where do you put Drago?" Lundgren said. "Where do you put that movie in the franchise? Between III and IV or after IV?"

Munteanu returned in Creed III, as Adonis managed Viktor's fights. Then Viktor helped Adonis train for his return to the ring. Lundgren is hopeful a Drago film will still happen.

"Obviously, it would be a great role for Florian and for me, too," Lundgren said. "It could go either way. It could just never get made or get made in a couple years or sooner than that maybe."