Michael B. Jordan credits Denzel Washington for preparing him to direct 'Creed III': 'A masterclass'

Michael B. Jordan will make his directorial debut with Creed III, due November 2022, and he learned from one of the best actors-turned-directors of all time while starring in A Journal for Jordan.

"It definitely prepared me for Creed III," Jordan told Entertainment Weekly. "I think just asking him a s—t ton of questions, and observing how he runs a set, how he communicates with department heads, and just the process of what to look for and what to expect on a day-to-day grind. So it was definitely the right project for me to do right before [Creed III], for sure. Being directed by Denzel, it's like you had a master class at everything. He shows up every day to work to give it his all. He leaves with nothing in the tank, so you've got to match that energy and that drive. So it definitely pushed me to do more. That was an incredible experience. Character development, breaking down characters, just getting to the micro of everything, being as specific as possible. It raised my game in a lot of ways, so I'm extremely grateful for that process."

The 34-year-old actor also explained what drew him to A Journal for Jordan, which unsurprisingly revolved around Washington:

"Honestly, the opportunity to work with Denzel. When [San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg] Popovich, or somebody gives you a call, it's like, 'Oh, s—t. OK. Yeah, yep. I'm showing up.' Whatever it is, we gotta figure it out. But I think the opportunity to work with one of my mentors and somebody that I idolized, to be able to learn from him and be directed by him, was priceless. And then when I read the book and I found out more about the story, I felt like it was the perfect opportunity because I'd never done a movie like this before either. So to be able to step into a new space with a great IP, with a great core foundation of the story and these people's lives—and then you mix that with Denzel, and somebody as talented as Chanté, and [producer] Todd Black, and everybody else that was involved in making this project, it just seemed like a no-brainer."

A Journal for Jordan is based on a true story of the journal 1st Sgt. Charles Monroe King (Jordan) left behind for his infant son with his love Dana Canedy (Chanté Adams) before he was killed in Iraq one month before completing his tour of duty. The film is adapted from Canedy's memoir by the same name.

The romantic drama will arrive in a limited release Dec. 10 before a wide release Dec. 22. Watch the heartbreaking trailer below.