Muhammad Ali Authorized Scripted Series "The Greatest" in Works at Amazon

Amazon Prime Video has greenlit “The Greatest,” the first-ever authorized scripted series about the life of Muhammad Ali.

Jaalen Best has been tapped to play Ali while Ben Watkins, creator of Amazon’s upcoming Alex Cross series, is set as showrunner.

“The Greatest” is produced in collaboration with Ali’s estate, with his widow Lonnie Ali serving as executive producer.

The series’ official description reads, “The amazing victories and defeats that made Ali a legend, both in and out of the ring, have been well documented and while those landmark events will live in ‘The Greatest,’ the heartbeat of the story is fueled by all the moments that took place outside of the spotlight. The world remembers an icon, but ‘The Greatest’ is about a man, a husband, a father, a brother, and a son."

Ali’s life rights were originally acquired by executive producer Josh Wakely, who brought the project to Amazon.

Amazon MGM Studios produces the series in association with Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society; Watkins’ Blue Monday Productions; Jay-Z’s Roc Nation; Universal Music Group’s Polygram Entertainment; Wakely’s Grace: A Storytelling Company; and Authentic Studios, which owns the rights to Ali’s image.

Executive producers also includes Watkins; Jordan and Outlier Society president Elizabeth Raposo; Authentic Brand Group’s Corey Salter, Marc Rosen and Matthew Gross; and Polygram’s Michele Anthony and Boyd Muir. David Blackman co-executive produces for Polygram. Stefano Agosto, executive vice president of television at Outlier Society will also oversee the project for Outlier.

Best is known for recurring as Ryan Craig in Season 2 of the CW’s “All American: Homecoming,” which aired in 2023. He has also appeared in episodes of “Magnum P.I.” and “American Horror Stories.”