Prime Video's Muhammad Ali Series, The Greatest, Drops Teaser, Locks Release Date

Amazon Prime Video has revealed the teaser trailer for The Greatest, a chronicle of the life and times of boxing legend Muhammad Ali. Jaalen Best plays Ali alongside Omari Hardwick and Dana Gourrier as Cassius ‘Cash’ Clay Sr. and his wife Odessa ‘Bird; Clay, respectively. Kai Parham plays Ali’s brother and fellow boxer Rudy. Amin Joseph will essay Ali’s rival Sonny Liston, while Michael Ealy plays Malcolm X. The Greatest is slated to premiere on November 4th. The announcement was made during a special presentation at the Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans.

Season 1 Timeline

“It’s a show that’s designed to show you all the stuff that wasn’t in documentaries and isn’t available in terms of watching old fights and old interviews,” showrunner Ben Watkins told Deadline. Season 1 will comprise eight episodes. “We filmed Season 1, which starts in 1960 when he wins the gold medal and ends in 1964 when he wins the heavyweight title for the first time,” Watkins added. “In between, there is a coming-of-age story, and a very intimate coming-of-age story, that really shows a different side of Ali, who was then Cassius Clay.”

Official Synopsis Of The Greatest

The series' official description is "The amazing victories and defeats that made Ali a legend, both in and out of the ring, have been well documented and while those landmark events will live in The Greatest, the heartbeat of the story is fueled by all the moments that took place outside of the spotlight. The world remembers an icon, but The Greatest is about a man, a husband, a father, a brother and a son."

Executive producer Josh Wakely acquired Ali's life rights and brought the project to Amazon. The first-look presentation featured creator, showrunner, and executive producer Ben Watkins, alongside Best and cast members Dana Gourrier, Amin Joseph, Kai Parham, and Michael Ealy. The panel was moderated by ESPN and ABC News journalist Kelley Carter.

Touted as the first authorized scripted series about Ali’s life, the project is executive produced by Lonnie Ali, the late legend’s widow, and portends to explore the man beyond the victories, defeats, and iconic moments that defined him in and out of the ring. The series comes from Watkins’ Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society, Authentic Studios, Roc Nation, Blue Monday Productions, Polygram Entertainment, and Grace: A Storytelling Company.

Muhammad Ali died on June 3, 2016, at age 74 after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.