Sumith Prasad
Amazon Prime Video’s biographical series ‘The Greatest’ will start filming in Toronto, Ontario, on April 21 and conclude on July 22, 2025. Based on the life of Muhammad Ali, who is regarded as the greatest professional boxer of all time, the series will be a “multifaceted portrait of Ali only he could render: sports legend, unapologetic anti-war advocate, outrageous showman and gracious goodwill ambassador, fighter, lover, poet, and provocateur, and an irresistible force to be reckoned with.” Michael B. Jordan and Jay-Z produce the series through their companies, Outlier Society and Roc Nation, respectively.
“It’s an incredible honor, and I bring tons of respect to it. It’s a healthy weight to carry, to be able to tell the story of Muhammad Ali,” Jordan told Deadline. The actor also revealed that Ali’s estate is also involved in the production of the show to “tell this story with no red tape” and Roc Nation will be involved in the “music side of things.”
“It’s a limited series that will really dive into the life of Muhammad Ali. I’m not going to be too specific beyond that, but we’ll be able to get to know him in ways we haven’t had a chance to before. I’m really excited about it, as a boxing enthusiast, and since this is the world I’ve been living in the past five or six years with the Creed franchise. To be able to honor Muhammad Ali and elaborate on his legacy is something I’m really excited about,” Jordan added about the series.
Jaalen Best will play Ali in the series. The actor is known for playing Ryan Craig in The CW’s sports drama ‘All American: Homecoming.’ His other credits include FX’s ‘American Horror Stories’ and CBS/NBC’s action drama series ‘Magnum P.I.’ Omari Hardwick (Starz’s ‘Power’ and Netflix’s ‘Army of the Dead‘) and Dana Gourrier (‘The Hateful Eight‘ and ‘Django Unchained‘) will also star as Ali’s parents, Cassius “Cash” Clay Sr. and Odessa “Bird” Clay, respectively.
Ben Watkins, who created ‘Cross’ for Prime Video, serves as the showrunner. Josh Wakely serves as the writer and producer of the series. He is best known for creating Netflix’s animated shows ‘Beat Bugs,’ which won a Daytime Emmy Award, and ‘Motown Magic.’
Toronto is home to several Prime Video productions, including the superhero series ‘The Boys,’ Alan Ritchson’s ‘Reacher,’ and the young adult series ‘Gen V.’
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