After hinting such a project for years, Jamie Foxx is set to take on the role of Mike Tyson for a new biographical limited series executive produced by Martin Scorsese.
Variety reports that the series, titled Tyson, has yet to land a TV network or streaming service. That hasn’t stopped some huge names in getting involved, however. Scorsese is executive producing via Sikelia Productions, while Training Day and The Equalizer director Antoine Fuqua is on board as director. The pilot for the series was written by Colin Preston, and he’s currently at work writing the rest of the season.
“I have been looking to tell my story for quite some time,” said Tyson in a statement. “With the recent launch of Legends Only League and the excitement from fans following my return to the ring, now feels like the perfect moment. I look forward to collaborating with Martin, Antoine, Jamie, and the entire creative team to bring audiences a series that not only captures my professional and personal journey but also inspires and entertains.”
Foxx has been talking about portraying Tyson in a biopic for years, and said it was “on” as long ago as 2017. As Deadline points out, the project has been in the works with Foxx involved since at least 2014. Last summer, Foxx appeared to show off his physique for the biopic, which has since seemingly been retooled to be a series rather than a movie.
The announcement of the series comes not long after Tyson called for a boycott of Hulu, which has its own biographical series on the boxer in the works. Iron Mike, however, does not have any involvement from Tyson himself. “Hulu’s announcement to do an unauthorized mini-series of the Tyson story without compensation, although unfortunate, isn’t surprising," he wrote on Instagram. "To make this announcement during Black History Month only confirms Hulu’s concern for dollars over respect for Black story rights.”
