REVERSE ANGLE
Stop Drago my heart around
Maybe Sylvester Stallone was joking when he told TMZ that “Rocky IV” villain Ivan Drago would appear in “Creed 2.” But Dolph Lundgren has posted an Instagram video of himself in training, with the hashtag “#Creed2.” So maybe he really is going to reprise his role as the murderous Russian boxing champion.
The “Creed” movies have to be about Michael B. Jordan’s character — they are named “Creed,” after all, not “Rocky and His Dead Pal’s Son.” But how much fun would that be, to at least catch up with Rocky and Drago 30-plus years after their battle? Maybe their cold war has ended? Maybe not, considering Drago killed young Creed’s dad. Adonis Johnson may have some angst to express.
The script is reportedly complete (Stallone said via Instagram), and production has been moved to early next year, possibly due to “Creed” director Ryan Coogler’s “Black Panther” commitments for Marvel Studios. Coogler has not yet been confirmed for any involvement with the sequel.
Here’s Sly possibly confirming Drago for “Creed 2” to TMZ: https://tinyurl.com/ydhz5oq8
Lundgren’s training video is at https://tinyurl.com/ycpzy5qo
If you had forgotten what Drago’s mission parameters were in “Rocky IV,” here’s a reminder: https://tinyurl.com/ndwjvcc
Trivia question
What institution of higher learning did Dolph Lundgren receive a Fulbright Scholarship to attend, but passed it up because he became involved with Grace Jones and moved to New York City?
Why no buzz?
Awards season has begun, at least in Hollywood, and prognosticators are peppering the Internet with nomination buzz for films that have not even screened. The Chronicle’s critics will issue their “deserves consideration” pieces at the appropriate time. Until then, there are three performances in already-released movies that deserve note but that are not getting that coveted buzz.
Perhaps because their roles aren’t showy, they don’t come with public humiliations in the name of love or wailing, crying scenes, the work of Zoe Kazan and Ray Romano in “The Big Sick” and Tatiana Maslany in “Stronger” are not appearing in those prediction stories. All three are simply grounded, quietly effective performances — the kind connoisseurs of the craft appreciate. Their portrayals are subtle, detailed and moving, always centered and grounded in the moment.
Act your way out of this
So Alicia Vikander is the latest respected actor to become an action hero(ine).
The Oscar winner is stepping into the boots once worn by Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft, “Tomb Raider.” We know she can act — her Oscar turn in “The Danish Girl” was great, but may have been her third-best work released that year (“Ex Machina” and “Testament of Youth” giving it a run for its money). If you’re wondering whether she can handle the action, she’s a trained dancer whose impeccable physical control should prove valuable in “Tomb Raider.”
The trend of casting performers who are strong actors but lacking action bona fides has certainly paid off for Marvel with the likes of Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo and Paul Rudd. We’ll have to wait until 2019 to see how Brie Larson does as “Captain Marvel,” but the smart money is on that Oscar winner to deliver.
By the way, Berkeley’s Daniel Wu, the star of AMC’s “Into the Badlands,” looks to have a major role in “Tomb Raider.”
“Tomb Raider” is due in 2018.
Trivia answer
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Lundgren holds a degree in chemical engineering from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden.