Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist
| Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist | |
|---|---|
 Promotional release poster | |
| Genre | Crime drama |
| Created by | Shaye Ogbonna |
| Based on | Fight Night by
|
| Starring | |
| Music by | Scott Bomar |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | Peacock |
| Release | September 5 – October 10, 2024 |
Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist is an American crime drama television miniseries created by Shaye Ogbonna, based on the 2020 podcast of the same name fictionalizing an actual armed robbery, at an Atlanta party,[1] on the night of Muhammad Ali's October 1970 comeback fight, after being stripped of his boxing license in 1967 for being a conscientious objector to fighting in the Vietnam War.[2]
The limited series premiered on September 5, 2024, on Peacock with the first three episodes.[3] It concluded with its eighth episode on October 10, 2024.
Premise
[edit]The infamous story of how an armed robbery on the night of Muhammad Ali's historic 1970 comeback fight transformed Atlanta into the "Black Mecca."
Cast
[edit]Main
[edit]- Kevin Hart as Gordon 'Chicken Man' Williams
- Taraji P. Henson as Vivian 'Sweets' Thomas
- Don Cheadle as Detective J.D. Hudson
- Samuel L. Jackson as Frank 'Black Godfather' Moten
Special guest star
[edit]- Terrence Howard as Richard 'Cadillac Richie' Wheeler
Guest
[edit]- Dexter Darden as Muhammad Ali
- Michael James Shaw as Lamar
- Atkins Estimond as Raymond 'Silky Brown' Armstrong
- Sam Adegoke as Emerson Dorsey
- Sinqua Walls as McKinley 'Mac' Rogers
- Myles Bullock as Willie Black
- Artrece Johnson as Faye Williams
- Lori Harvey as Lola Falana
- Marsha Stephanie Blake as Delores Hudson
- Jayson Warner Smith as Police Chief Herbert Turner Jenkins
- RonReaco Lee as Senator Leroy Johnson
- Teresa Celeste as Maxine
- Chloe Bailey as Lena Mosley
- Melvin Gregg as Andre Muse
- Jalyn Hall as Baby Ray
- Justen Ross as Tommy Hayes
- Terrence Terrell as Boone Davis
- Ben Vandermey as Detective Mason
- Jeff Sprauve as Romel
- Alan Heckner as Colt
- Parker Sack as Paul Gleason
- Clifton Powell as Mushmouth Rowe
- David Banner as Missouri Slim
- Exie Booker as Derrick 'Tex' Patterson
- Dammon Earl Hughes as Bunker Willis
- Celestino Cornielle as Javier 'Javi' Lopez
- Rockmond Dunbar as Uncle Willie
Episodes
[edit]| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Round One: The Ballad of Chicken Man" | Craig Brewer | Shaye Ogbonna | September 5, 2024 | TBA | N/A |
| 2 | "Round Two: Fight Night" | Craig Brewer | Shaye Ogbonna | September 5, 2024 | TBA | N/A |
| 3 | "Round Three: Black Vegas" | Tanya Hamilton | Erika L. Johnson | September 5, 2024 | TBA | N/A |
| 4 | "Round Four: Real Policework" | Tanya Hamilton | Jon Dorsey | September 12, 2024 | TBA | N/A |
| 5 | "Round Five: Ambition Ain't Free" | Carl Seaton | Lauren Andrea Glover | September 19, 2024 | TBA | N/A |
| 6 | "Round Six: Community Men" | Carl Seaton | Maxwell Michael Towson | September 26, 2024 | TBA | N/A |
| 7 | "Round Seven: Jekyll Island" | Craig Brewer | Story by : Jason Horwitch Teleplay by : Jason Horwitch & Erika L. Johnson | October 3, 2024 | TBA | N/A |
| 8 | "Round Eight: Testify" | Craig Brewer | Story by : Shaye Ogbonna & William Yu Teleplay by : Shaye Ogbonna | October 10, 2024 | TBA | TBD |
Production
[edit]It was announced in December 2023 that Kevin Hart was set to star in and executive produce the series, which Peacock had greenlit in a straight to series order.[4] Samuel L. Jackson, Terrence Howard, Dexter Darden and Taraji P. Henson were added to the cast in January 2024, while Craig Brewer was hired to direct the first and last two episodes.[5][6][7][8][9] Myles Bullock, Don Cheadle, Chloe Bailey, Melvin Gregg, Artrece Johnson, Jalyn Hall, Clifton Powell, Lori Harvey and Marsha Stephanie Blake were added to the cast in February 2024.[10][11][12][13] In March, Rockmond Dunbar joined the cast.[14]
Filming began on February 12, 2024, in Atlanta.[15]
The series reunites Taraji P. Henson with Kevin Hart after co-starring with him in Think Like a Man, Think Like a Man Too, and Top Five, and is Henson’s third collaboration with Terrence Howard, whom she had previously collaborated with in Hustle & Flow and the series Empire.
Reception
[edit]On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 96% of 23 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.2/10. The website's consensus reads: "Skillfully weaving an inflection point in Black culture into a rollicking heist story, Fight Night is punchy entertainment with a never-better Kevin Hart broadening his dramatic range."[16] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 72 out of 100, based on 15 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[17]
References
[edit]- ^ Tinubu, Aramide (October 10, 2024). "'Fight Night' Creator Shaye Ogbonna on His Real-Life Connections to the Heist: 'It Came From a Personal Place for Me'". Variety. Retrieved October 13, 2024.
- ^ Davis, David (October 1, 2005). "Knockout: An oral history of Muhammad Ali, Atlanta, and the fight nobody wanted". Atlanta. Archived from the original on October 31, 2019. Retrieved October 13, 2024.
- ^ Cordero, Rosy (June 12, 2024). "Peacock's Muhammad Ali Limited Series Fight Night Drops Teaser & Premiere Date". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 12, 2024. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
- ^ Hailou, Selome (December 13, 2023). "Kevin Hart Cast in Muhammad Ali Fight Night Heist Series at Peacock, Will Packer to Produce". Variety. Archived from the original on January 30, 2024. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
- ^ Cordero, Rosy (January 5, 2024). "Samuel L. Jackson Boards Peacock's Muhammad Ali Limited Series Fight Night". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 30, 2024. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (January 29, 2024). "Terrence Howard Joins Peacock's Muhammad Ali Limited Series Fight Night". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 30, 2024. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (January 31, 2024). "Dexter Darden Lands Role Of Muhammad Ali In Peacock Limited Series Fight Night". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 31, 2024. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
- ^ Cordero, Rosy (January 31, 2024). "Taraji P. Henson Joins Cast Of Peacock's Muhammad Ali Limited Series Fight Night". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 31, 2024. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
- ^ "Video: Peacock Debuts Official Trailer for "Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist". The Futon Critic. Archived from the original on September 13, 2024. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (February 2, 2024). "Myles Bullock Joins Peacock's 'Fight Night'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 2, 2024. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
- ^ White, Peter (February 5, 2024). "Don Cheadle Boards Peacock's Muhammad Ali Limited Series Fight Night". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 5, 2024. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
- ^ Cordero, Rosy (February 8, 2024). "Peacock's Muhammad Ali Limited Series Fight Night Adds 6 To Cast". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
- ^ Otterson, Joe (February 8, 2024). "Marsha Stephanie Blake Joins Peacock Limited Series Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie; Petski, Denise (March 22, 2024). "Rockmond Dunbar Joins Peacock's Limited Series Fight Night In Return To Acting". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 23, 2024. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
- ^ "Casting Call For Non-Union Paid Extras For Fight Night Series Filming In Atlanta". CastCaller. February 4, 2024. Archived from the original on September 13, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
- ^ "Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved October 13, 2024.
- ^ "Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved October 13, 2024.
