Creed Page #4

ADONIS:

I aint even got nothin’ set up out

there. Don’t know if I ever will...

TERREL:

Hey. It aint like I don’t got time.

ADONIS:

Alright man.

TERREL:

Aight.

They hang up their phones, and stand up on opposite sides of

the glass. Adonis watches as Terrel heads back to the

hallway.

29 EXT. CLABSADDLE FRONT LAWN - DAY 29

29 Adonis, stands next to his car and several bags of luggage,2 9

holding an envelope full of cash. He’s staring at a

CRAIGSLIST CUSTOMER (40’s, Hispanic), who sits in the

driver’s seat. He fires up the engine, tosses a peace sign up

to Adonis, and drives off into the distance.

Kayla runs out of the house towards him and grabs his leg.

Adonis grabs her back and squeezes her tight. He bends down

to her.

KAYLA:

Are you ever coming back?

ADONIS:

I’m not sure.

KAYLA:

How will we talk?

ADONIS:

We’ll use the computer.

KAYLA:

Are you gonna fight?

ADONIS:

Yes.

KAYLA:

You better win.

Adonis forces a smile as the cab pulls up. Kayla heads back

towards the house, and he gets in.

17.

30 EXT. PHILADELPHIA SKYLINE- SUNRISE- SIX HOURS LATER 30

A commercial plane moves along the horizon, with downtown

Philadelphia’s skyscrapers looming in the foreground.

31 EXT. ADONIS’ PHILADELPHIA APARTMENT BUILDING 31

A yellow cab lets Adonis out at the corner. He looks up at a

sparce brick apartment complex.

32 INT. ADONIS’ APARTMENT HALLWAY 32

Adonis stands next to his LANDLORD (Filipina, 50s) who finds

the keys to his unit.

LANDLADY:

A lot of young people here,

students, artists. Not too many

families. You’ll like it.

Adonis looks down the hallway as a WHITE GUY gets onto the

elevator. At the last second a WOMAN (Black, 20’s long

dreadlocks, stunning) carrying a subwoofer catches the

elevator doors. She gets on, not noticing Adonis staring her

down as the elevators close. He turns his attention back to

the Landlady, as she opens his door.

Series of shots

-Adonis has just finished moving into a studio apartment-.

It’s modest. Adonis grabs his phone, and exits.

-Adonis stands at the top of the Art Museum steps, looking up

at the Rocky statue, the sun setting behind it.

33 INT. ADRIAN’S RESTAURANT 33

Rocky places large boxes onto a rack. FRIEDA, the hostess,

enters the narrow staircase and near the bottom sees Rocky at

the stove in discussion with the HISPANIC CHEF, and TWO

KITCHEN WORKERS.

FRIEDA:

Rocky?

Rocky turns towards the staircase.

ROCKY:

Yeah?

18.

FRIEDA:

There’s some guy who wants to talk

with ya.

ROCKY:

Kinda late...

FRIEDA:

Want me to tell him you already

left?

ROCKY:

I got it.

34 INT. ADRIAN’S RESTAURANT 34

Upstairs Adonis stares at the many pictures depicting Rocky’s

career. On the wall are his title belts too.

His eyes settle on a large dynamic painting of Rocky and

Apollo, about to exchange blows.

Because of the hour, there are only four remaining diners as

usual, opera music is faintly heard.

Adonis hears heavy footsteps coming up the basement stairs.

His eyes travel from the vibrant painting to Rocky appearing

at the top of the stairs. Rocky removes his glasses as he

approaches.

Adonis is slightly taken aback by the “present” Rocky, and

the colorful youthful image seen on the painting.

ROCKY:

How ya doin’?

(off Adonis’ non- answer)

I hear you wanna talk to me?

ADONIS:

(glancing at the painting)

Painting’s cool... who landed

first?

ROCKY:

That’s a secret...

Rocky notices the stitches.

ROCKY (CONT’D)

You a fighter, huh?

(off Adonis’ nod)

That from a punch or a butt.

19.

ADONIS:

Butt.

ROCKY:

Terrible feeling, you know? Like ya

been kissed by a rock...

ADONIS:

I seen a lot of your old fights.

ROCKY:

Don’t ya got nothin better to do?

What’s ya name?

ADONIS:

Adonis. Everybody calls me Donnie

though.

ROCKY:

Different-

ADONIS:

I didn’t pick it. It’s Greco-

Roman. My grandfather had a name

like that.

ROCKY:

That’s nice-

ADONIS:

I never met him. But you did.

ROCKY:

Oh yeah?

ADONIS:

They say you never really know

somebody till you fight them, so

you probably knew him better than

anybody.

Rocky does the math, while Adonis looks back towards the

painting.

ROCKY:

Where you say you were from, kid?

ADONIS:

Los Angeles.

Rocky stares.

20.

ROCKY:

Apollo? Apollo’s your GRANDfather?!

Wait, he had two little girls and..

ADONIS:

Lisa.

ROCKY:

Little Lisa? You’re Lisa’s kid? Has

it been that long...

Rocky smiles and covers his hand with his mouth. He can’t

believe it. Then it hits him.

ROCKY (CONT’D)

What are you doing fighting?

Adonis looks around for a beat.

ADONIS:

You think we could sit down

somewhere and talk?

35 ADRIAN’S RESTAURANT- LATER 35

Everyone is gone, only the back lights are on. Rocky and

Adonis sit at a table. Rocky drinks wine, Adonis water.

ROCKY:

Apollo was something that was like

invented. Had all the good stuff,

heart, brains, power, forget it.

Hit so hard, you felt like you were

on a rocket to planet pain. And he

had this mental thing... called it

“The Eye of The Tiger”

ADONIS:

Eye of the Tiger? Sounds corny.

ROCKY:

Corny? It saved my life. The

hunger, the drive. He could make

things happen out of nothing. He’d

be loosing, then BAM, one shot, one

special move, now he’s won- it was

magic.

ADONIS:

Then how’d you beat him?

21.

ROCKY:

It was just my time. He had won

fifty fights. Nobody stays strong

forever.

(beat)

So why’d you come here?

ADONIS:

I want you to train me.

ROCKY:

Train ya? I’m no trainer.

ADONIS:

Be my teacher, then. Why should I

have to go to some other lame, when

we could keep it in the family.

ROCKY:

Family? Well...

He’s at a loss for words.

ADONIS:

You gotta miss it...

ROCKY:

Miss it? No. I got it all outta my

system, and I don’t look back.

ADONIS:

Why’d you do it in the first place?

ROCKY:

I had nothin. Less than nothin.

ADONIS:

And it gave you something, right?

And I’m not talking about the

money.

ROCKY:

Yeah it gave me something. But it

made me loose a lot of things too.

That’s the thing about boxing, it

takes more than it gives, you know?

ADONIS:

Can say that about life.

(beat)

Look, it’s something inside of me,

telling me I gotta do this. But I’m

missing something that can take me

to the next level.

22.

(MORE)

I think that’s you. You can show me

how to do it right.

ROCKY:

Y’know- Apollo died in my hands.

I watched my friend die, knowing I

shoulda stopped it. That was what

it was; now you’re here. I don’t

want it. He wouldn’t either.

Adonis takes this in. Digs into his bag and pulls out a VHS

tape. He sits it down in front of Rocky.

ADONIS:

Brought you this, check it out, if

you still got something that can

play it.

Adonis stands up.

ADONIS (CONT’D)

I’ll be at your old gym tomorrow.

Check me out if you feel up to it.

ROCKY:

Sold that place, haven’t been there

in years.

He starts towards the door, and on his way out he stops by

the painting again.

ADONIS:

So who landed first?

ROCKY:

He did.

ADONIS:

Figures...

Adonis exits as Rocky stares after the departing young man,

trying to make sense of it all.

36 INT. ADONIS’ APARTMENT- NIGHT 36

Adonis lays on his back in his bed struggling to sleep as

LOUD music can be heard in the room above his head.

He pulls the pillow from over his ear, and looks up at the

ceiling.

23.

ADONIS (CONT'D)

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