The series comes from executive producer Michael B. Jordan and executive producer/showrunner Ben Watkins (photo below, inset).
The series will showcase the defining moments in Ali's life and career - both in and out of the ring - which have been well documented, as well as moments that took place away from the spotlight. The world remembers an icon, but The Greatest is about a man, a husband, a father, a brother and a son.
It is produced by Michael B. Jordan's Outlier Society, which has an overall agreement with Amazon MGM Studios, Watkins' Blue Monday Productions, Authentic Studios, Roc Nation, Polygram Entertainment, a partner of Universal Music Group, and Grace: A Storytelling Company, with Ali's widow Lonnie Ali as executive producer.
”Muhammad Ali’s is an awe-inspiring story of one of the most significant global figures of the 20th century,” said Vernon Sanders, head of television, Amazon MGM Studios. “We are proud to work with Ben alongside Outlier, Roc Nation, Polygram, Grace, Authentic Brands, Lonnie Ali, and the very talented Jaalen Best, who we know will do a remarkable job bringing The Greatest to life for our global Prime Video customers.”
Watkins has combined The Greatest with another Prime Video series. He is executive producer and showrunner of Cross, which is based on the characters from James Patterson's bestseller Alex Cross.
“To be trusted with the honor of telling the story of my most cherished hero, Muhammad Ali, is humbling and scary, and a dream come true,” he said. “I am filled with an overwhelming sense of pride, responsibility, and most of all, gratitude.”
Lonnie Ali spoke about Best's casting as her late husband.
“I’m thrilled to be producing The Greatest alongside Ben Watkins who captured the essence and nuance of Muhammad,” she said. “With Jaalen Best, we have uncovered a soulful gem. He is such a talented young man who not only embodies Muhammad, but exudes his resilience, courage, charisma and confidence.”
Fellow executive producer Josh Wakely spent years working on The Greatest, securing the rights to Ali's life story and bringing the project to Amazon.
“It’s been a longtime dream to tell Ali’s remarkable life story as a television series, which is the only way to truly capture his greatness, and I’m grateful to Lonnie and the assembled team who also share my passion for getting The Greatest to the screen,” he said.
In addition to Watkins and Jordan, Outlier Society President Elizabeth Raposo will produce. Lonnie Ali will serve as executive producer on the series alongside Corey Salter, Marc Rosen and Matthew Gross of Authentic Brand Group.
Other executive producers include Roc Nation; Michele Anthony, Boyd Muir and co-executive producers David Blackman for Polygram; and Josh Wakely through his Grace: A Storytelling Company. Stefano Agosto, Executive Vice President of Television at Outlier Society will also oversee the project on behalf of Outlier.
The Greatest is produced by Amazon MGM Studios in association with Outlier Society, Authentic Studios, Blue Monday Productions, Roc Nation, Polygram Entertainment and Grace: A Storytelling Company.
Ali has most notably been played on screen by himself in 1977's The Greatest, by Terrence Howard in the 2000 ABC film King of the World, David Ramsey in the Fox film Ali: An American Hero, Will Smith in the biopic Ali from 2001 and Eli Goree in the 2020 Amazon Prime film One Night in Miami.
Jaalen has had roles in The CW's All American: Homecoming, FX's American Horror Stories on Hulu and Magnum, P.I. from CBS/NBC.
