Photo by Nobuhiro Hosoki
A collision of talent is set to bring Mike Tyson’s life to the small screen. Jamie Foxx will play the famed boxer in a limited series produced by Foxx, Martin Scorsese, Antoine Fuqua, and Rick Yorn.
While details about when – and on what network or platform – the show will ultimately air have yet to be announced, there is considerable enthusiasm about this project, which was reported by Deadline.
This is not the first news of Foxx being cast as Tyson. He was originally announced as the star of a 2014 film written by Terence Winter.
Now, veteran filmmaker Scorsese is on board, along with Fuqua, a director best known for films like Training Day and Olympus Has Fallen, and Yorn, a frequent Scorsese collaborator who produced both of his previous scripted TV series, Boardwalk Empire and Vinyl.
Foxx, who most recently lent his voice to the Oscar-nominated animated hit Soul, is no stranger to playing beloved pop culture figures. He won an Oscar is 2004 for portraying musician Ray Charles. He got his start on television as a cast member on In Living Color and on the series Roc, later anchoring his own show, The Jamie Foxx Show. His performance in the TV movie Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story also earned him awards attention.
Tyson appears to be very pleased with this project, in stark contrast to his response to the limited series Iron Mike from Hulu. In February, he referred to that announcement as “unauthorized” and “cultural appropriation,” noting he would soon announce his own project. Last November, Tyson launched a new venture, Legends Only League, which will now produce this series. About it, Tyson said, “I have been looking to tell my story for quite some time. With the recent launch of Legends Only League and the excitement from fans following my return to the ring, now feels like the perfect moment. I look forward to collaborating with Martin, Antoine, Jamie, and the entire creative team to bring audiences a series that not only captures my professional and personal journey but also inspires and entertains.
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