‘Dear White People’ star Tessa Thompson joins Sylvester Stallone in ‘Creed’

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) - "Dear White People" and "Selma" star Tessa Thompson has come on board MGM's boxing drama "Creed" opposite Sylvester Stallone and Michael B. Jordan.

Ryan Coogler ("Fruitvale Station") is directing from a script he co-wrote with Aaron Covington. Stallone will bring back his Rocky Balboa character as a trainer for the grandson of Apollo Creed, portrayed by Carl Weathers in 1976's "Rocky."

Producers are Irwin Winkler, Robert Chartoff, Stallone and Kevin King.

Thompson plays the host of the titular radio show in "Dear White People," for which she won a breakthrough actress award from the Gotham Awards, and civil rights activist Diane Nash in "Selma." She is repped by Greene & Associates, Mosaic and Jackoway Tyerman.

News was first reported by Deadline.com.