Michael B. Jordan isn’t just collecting producer credits. According to creator Ben Watkins, Jordan is the reason“The Greatest”exists at all. The new Prime Video scripted series covers four pivotal years of Muhammad Ali’s life, and Watkins told PEOPLE that every time the show was on the ropes over budget or a green light, Jordan showed up in person to push it through.
The project almost didn’t happen for a very personal reason. Watkins said he was afraid to engage because Ali was his lifelong hero and he didn’t want to mess it up. Jordan personally wanted Watkins for the job, and the cast surrounding newcomer Jaalen Best is stacked: Michael Ealy as Malcolm X, Omari Hardwick as Ali’s father, and Amin Joseph as Sonny Liston.
Lonnie Ali, Muhammad’s widow, serves as an executive producer, which gives the series a family stamp of approval that most bio-dramas never get. It’s a story about a legend, told with the people who loved him most in the room. Who do you think should play the next sports icon in a prestige series?
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.