Watch: Go BTS (and In the Ring) with 'Creed II'

Creed II (or, depending on whom you ask, Rocky VIII), the sequel to the 2015 blockbuster Creed from director Ryan Coogler, opens in theaters nationwide today, returning its original stars Michael B. Jordan and series creator Sylvester Stallone to the big screen.

Although many us of have yet to see the new film, we've still caught "Rocky fever" around these parts, resulting in a ranking of each of the eight films in the franchise by our own Jason Hellerman.

The director this time around is Steven Caple Jr., whose debut feature, The Land, debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in 2016. Creed II, his unlikely follow-up, unites the director with cinematographer Kramer Morgenthau, a DP who previously filmed Michael B. Jordan in HBO's adaptation of Fahrenheit 451 earlier this year.

Do the two pull it off for another successful entry in the five-decade-long Rocky series? Reviews have been positive and that's to be expected as quality control, with Coogler remaining on as an Executive Producer, was never in doubt. 

To see how Caple Jr. and Morgenthau pulled it off, scroll down to view a behind-the-scenes look at the production of Creed II. It ain't easy choreographing complex fight sequences, and it's even harder to pull off realistically. Watch the video below before (or after) seeing the new film, now playing in theaters. 

Are you seeing Creed II this weekend? Let us know down in the comments.