An eight-part event series about boxing icon Muhammad Ali is in the works at Peacock from Regé-Jean Page, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Willmott, Variety has confirmed.
Titled “Excellence: 8 Fights,” the scripted drama series hails from Oscar-winning writer Willmott (“BlacKkKlansman,” “Da 5 Bloods”) and is based on Jonathan Eig’s definitive biography “Ali: A Life.” “Bridgerton” breakout Page and Freeman are both on board as executive producers, as well as Willmott, Lori McCreary for Revelations Entertainment and Emily Brown. Eig will serve as a producer, with CBS Studios and UCP.
According to the show’s official description, “Excellence: 8 Fights” will “chronicle eight distinct and defining moments in the iconic life of Muhammad Ali. Each episode will be framed by one fight from Ali’s life, but the essence of the episode, what it’s really about, is the internal fight – the drama outside the ring – where we will explore the struggle going on in the heart and mind of one of the most consequential and controversial figures of the 20th century.”
After his starring turn in Netflix’s “Bridgerton” in 2020, Page continued to broaden his acting horizons with action film “The Gray Man” and the upcoming film adaptation “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.” “Excellence” marks Page’s most significant leap into the production realm to date.
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Beloved for his roles in films such as “Million Dollar Baby” and “The Shawshank Redemption,” Freeman is an Oscar-winning actor who has also made a name for himself as an executive producer on projects like “Madam Secretary” and “Invictus.”
Willmott won the adapted screenplay Oscar in 2019 for “BlacKkKlansman.” His other credits include “Chi-Raq,” “Jayhawkers” and “The 24th.”
Deadline was the first to report the news.
