American actor and film producer, Michael B. Jordan is reportedly developing a limited series based on the professional life and activism of legendary boxer, Muhammed Ali.
According to multiple reports, the actor’s Outlier Society production company, is in partnership with Amazon on the limited series which has been tentatively titled, ‘The Greatest’.
The ‘Creed’ star told Deadline, an American publishing outlet, in an exclusive interview that the series will be scripted by Australian filmmaker Josh Wakely while JayZ’s Roc Nation will handle the music part of production. Jordan also noted that he was not going to play the role of Ali in the movie as many people suspected.
“It’s a limited series that will really dive into the life of Muhammad Ali. People know Muhammad Ali from his boxing days, but this is an opportunity to go beyond the ring, and more into the man. It’s going to give more of a 360 degree view of who he was, and no, I’m not playing that guy, I can say that for sure, and we are still in early stages here and can’t say too much. We are still putting the pieces together, but it feels like something to look forward to in the future.”
Micael B. Jordan
Speaking more on his partnership with Amazon, Jordan mentioned that it is early days on how they will exploit Amazon’s platforms to create brands, but he however noted that he will continue to be selective, as he has been in his screen career since the priority is to serve storytelling with a constructive message.
“My ambition and appetite has grown over the years. It has consistently gotten more diverse as it has expanded to wonder what is possible. You see a business and a brand like Amazon, and my ambition is to grow an ecosystem, where one hand washes the other, and we help each other out. They had the resources and the like mindedness and ambition and a need for someone like myself. This is something I see living across content creation, philanthropy, including ‘Audible’, which is based in my hometown, Newark, New Jersey”.
Michael B. Jordan
Meanwhile, Jordan’s forthcoming series will not be the first Hollywood film to be based on the legendary boxer. In 2001, Michael Mann debuted ‘Ali’, a biopic based on the sportsman. The movie starred Will Smith. Most recently, another movie that was based on Ali’s life is ‘One Night in Miami’. It is written and directed by Regina King and the Ali role was played by Canadian actor Eli Goree.
That aside, Ali’s life and his emergence not only in the ring but as a Civil Rights activist lends a broad tapestry to the storytelling. Nicknamed ‘The Greatest’, he is widely regarded as one of the most significant and celebrated figures of the 20th century and as one of the greatest boxers of all time.
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