TheWrap is exclusively reporting that the Rocky film franchise looks set to further expand with another spinoff film, this time focusing on Ivan and Viktor Drago, with Robert Lawton attached to write the script.

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Although currently the plot for the spinoff is being kept under wraps, the film is set to focus on Russian fighter Ivan Drago and his son Viktor Drago, who were last seen as the antagonists in 2018’s Creed II. Portrayed by Dolph Lundgren, Ivan Drago first appeared as the main antagonist in 1985’s Rocky IV, where the boxer was challenged to an exhibition bout by Apollo Creed, where he in turn killed Creed in the ring, leading to an unsanctioned bout between him and Rocky Balbao taking place in Russia. The character returned in Creed II, alongside his son Viktor (played by Florian Munteanu). Having been disgraced in Russia following his loss to Rocky, he relocated to Ukraine to raise his son, and trained him to box, leading to the inevitable clash against Apollo Creed’s son, Adonis.

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The report states that MGM executives were impressed with Robert Lawton’s spec script ‘Becoming Rocky’, which was about the making of the first Rocky film and was one of fifty scripts to win a 2021 Nicholl Fellowship.

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A potential spinoff was initially spoken about by Dolph Lundgren back in late 2021, where during an interview with THR (The Hollywood Reporter), the actor was talking about disappointment that a fight between him and Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa didn’t make the cut, saying:

I thought it was a good moment. It was also a fan moment. It was a quick little fight, and I thought it worked. But the director [Caple] and MGM felt that it was extraneous and that it didn’t add anything. By the way, I think there’s some talk about doing a whole spinoff on Drago with MGM. So you may get more of that.

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It’ll be interesting to see MGM’s plans for the Drago spinoff and when will they look to begin production.