Peacock has greenlit a limited series titled “Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist,” centered around an infamous armed robbery following Muhammad Ali’s historic 1970 comeback fight. The series, based on the iHeart podcast of the same name, will feature Kevin Hart in the lead role and as an executive producer.
The Atlanta-set series, created by Shaye Ogbonna, explores the night of Ali’s victory over Jerry Quarry. That night was a significant moment following Ali’s ban from boxing for refusing military draft entry. The after-party turned into one of the largest armed robberies in U.S. history.
Ogbonna and Jason Horwitch will serve as showrunners, delving into the intertwining stories of the hustler and the detective, one of Atlanta’s first Black police officers tasked with solving the heist. The series will shed light on Atlanta’s identity as “the Black Mecca.”
Executive producers for the series include Bryan Smiley and Mike Stein for Hartbeat, Will acker and Sabrina Wind for Will Packer Media, Conal Byrne, Will Pearson, and Carrie Lieberman for iHeartPodcasts, and Jeff Keating and Lars Jacobson.
The project reunites Hart and Will Packer with Peacock, following their previous collaborations on “Hart to Heart” and the streaming of Hart’s stand-up special, “Reality Check.” Craig Brewer, director of “Dolemite Is My Name,” is set to direct the first two episodes, with Tiffany Brown and Kenny Burns co-executive producing.
The series is produced by Universal Television.
The story, initially developed as a feature film by Universal Pictures, has been adapted into a podcast and now a limited series, maintaining its focus on the significant events of the 1970 comeback fight.