‘The Greatest’ teaser: Prime Video unveils first look at Muhammad Ali biopic series

Prime Video has unveiled the first teaser for The Greatest, the upcoming limited series based on the life of boxing legend Muhammad Ali, while confirming that all eight episodes will premiere on November 4.

Billed as the first authorised scripted series about Ali’s life, The Greatest stars Jaalen Best as the legendary heavyweight champion, with Omari Hardwick and Dana Gourrier portraying his parents, Cassius “Cash” Clay Sr. and Odessa “Bird” Clay. Kai Parham plays Ali’s younger brother Rudy Clay, while Michael Ealy stars as civil rights leader Malcolm X and Amin Joseph takes on the role of boxing rival Sonny Liston.

The teaser, unveiled during a special presentation at the Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans, offers the first glimpse of Best’s transformation into the iconic athlete and teases the formative years that shaped one of the most influential figures in sports history.

Season one begins with his gold medal victory at the 1960 Rome Olympics and concludes with his historic triumph over Sonny Liston in 1964, when Cassius Clay became heavyweight champion of the world before adopting the name Muhammad Ali.

Showrunner Ben Watkins said the series aims to tell the untold story of Ali’s early life. “It’s a show that’s designed to show you all the stuff that wasn’t in documentaries and isn’t available in terms of watching old fights and old interviews,” he said, describing the first season as an intimate coming-of-age story that reveals a different side of the future champion.

Executive produced by Ali’s widow Lonnie Ali, The Greatest is produced by Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society alongside Blue Monday Productions, Roc Nation, Authentic Studios, Polygram Entertainment, and Grace: A Storytelling Company.