Morgan Freeman Making New Series About The Greatest Athlete Ever
Morgan Freeman is working with Peacock on a limited series following the life of Muhammad Ali called Excellence: 8 Fights, based off of the biography Ali: A Life.
Morgan Freeman is producing a Muhammad Ali event series at Peacock. Having just past the 52nd anniversary of the landmark debut fight between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, a fight which many refer to as the fight of the century, Deadline reveals that Peacock is set to develop a new series following the late heavyweight champion. The series, called Excellence: 8 Fights, is a scripted eight-part limited show that follows the biography Ali: A Life, written by Jonathan Eig.
While there’s no word yet on what role Morgan Freeman will play in the series, if any, his production company is set to produce the Muhammad Ali series. Freeman will be working alongside BlackKklansman screenwriter Kevin Willmott, Emily Brown, Bridgerton actor Regé-Jean Page, and Lori McCreary’s Revelations Entertainment. There is currently no cemented casting for the role of Muhammad Ali, though many actors such as Terrence Howard, David Ramsey, and Will Smith have previously portrayed the incredible boxer on film.
Excellence: 8 Fights will be available on Peacock, with CBS studios and Universal set to fund the venture. The series is set to play out over the course of eight episodes, each focussing on a defining moment of the champion’s iconic life story. While Morgan Freeman is obviously a bit old to be playing a young Muhammad Ali, many fans are hoping that the actor will lend his highly sought-after voice to the production for any Voice Over narration in the script.
Kevin Willmott is attached to write all eight episodes, which explore the internal struggles of the controversial fighter and activist throughout his incredible career. Apparently, the project has been in limbo since 2017, when it was originally pitched in a much different capacity, though Deadline fails to specify if the original intent was a film, documentary, or even a full-length multi-season series. After reworking the pitch and attaching Morgan Freeman and company to produce, the Muhammad Ali event series can finally begin shooting.
This series should come as a welcome surprise for many fans after the recent success of Michael B. Jordan’s Creed 3 has proven that high-scale boxing films are still in significantly popular demand. Outside of Morgan Freeman’s series, Jordan has also expressed interest in a film adaptation of Muhammad Ali’s life and boxing career. Perhaps Michael B. Jordan’s newfound success as a director will allow him to get involved with the upcoming series.
With the Will Smith-led Ali premiering in theaters over 20 years ago, the new series will be a fresh look at Ali’s incredible legacy, with each episode providing a deep dive into the conditions of the boxer’s life in and out of the ring. With Morgan Freeman currently spread across 6 films in various stages of acting development, it remains unclear if he’ll be acting in the Muhammad Ali series or simply producing. For now, we’ll have to wait and see what the creative minds behind Excellence have in store for us.
