When Creed III came out this year, something a little weird came along with it in Japan: a Creed-based, sci-fi anime short from the studio behind the Megalobox franchise called Creed: Shinjidai. The short played alongside the movie in Japanese theaters but never left the country, leaving Rocky/Creed fans around the world wondering when they’d get to see it. Well, that time is now, but it isn’t going to be all that easy, as the US release date for Creed: Shinjidai is extremely exclusive.
On Facebook, the Creed account revealed Shinjidai is coming to U.S. theaters this Friday, September 22, but only for one week, and only at the Alamo Draft House Cinema in Los Angeles alongside subversive teen comedy Bottoms.
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Yeah, it’s not easy to see. Why it’s only playing in one theater with one movie for one week isn’t clear, and why that movie is Bottoms is even less clear. Both movies come from MGM, so that’s a start, and Bottoms does have a kind of boxing/fight club aspect to it, so there’s another but from there, it’s hard to draw connections. That’s not to say, if you are in the area and are a Creed fan, you’ll regret watching Bottoms, as it’s a really hilarious film that subverts the teen comedy genre in plenty of ways, but they are strange bedfellows for sure.
That’s especially true because Creed: Shinjidai isn’t just a Creed anime; it’s a science fiction spin on the Creed franchise set far in the future, where a trio of fighters must unlock their superpowers by connecting with each other and their boxing heritage as they travel around the universe. It sounds a bit bonkers but also perfectly right for Creed III, which took the already over-the-top boxing of the entire Rocky/Creed franchise to even more absurd heights with its heavily anime-inspired style and storytelling.
You can pick up your tickets to see Creed: Shinjidai right now if you live near that one theater or want to buy a plane ticket to LA. It’s not clear if the short will ever be released wider, as it wasn’t present as a special feature on the home release of the movie, so this may be your only chance to catch it, barring a sudden drop on MGM+.
