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The Greatest (2026 TV series)

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The Greatest
Genre
Created byBen Watkins
Starring
Countries of origin
  • United States
  • Canada
  • Australia
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producers
Production companies
Original release
NetworkAmazon Prime Video

The Greatest is a television biographical sports drama limited series about Muhammad Ali from Amazon MGM Studios for Amazon Prime Video. The series is created by Ben Watkins, and produced in collaboration with Ali's estate, with executive producers including his widow Lonnie Ali, as well as Josh Wakely and Michael B. Jordan. Jaalen Best stars as Ali. It premiered on November 4, 2026.

Premise

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The series delves into the personal and professional life of the legendary boxer Muhammad Ali.[1]

Cast

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Main

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Recurring

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Episodes

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No.TitleDirected byWritten by [2]Original release date [3]
1"Fool's Gold"Ben Watkins[4]Ben WatkinsNovember 4, 2026 (2026-11-04)
2"Promised Land"Ben Watkins[4]Aiyana WhiteNovember 4, 2026 (2026-11-04)
3"The New Negro"TBAJeff AugustinNovember 4, 2026 (2026-11-04)
4"Artist at Work"TBABlaize Ali-WatkinsNovember 4, 2026 (2026-11-04)
5"X²"TBABen Watkins & Maria Warith-WadeNovember 4, 2026 (2026-11-04)
6"Eight Count"TBAChris Erric MaddoxNovember 4, 2026 (2026-11-04)
7"Louder Than Words"TBAAiyana WhiteNovember 4, 2026 (2026-11-04)
8"My Name Is..."TBABen Watkins & Jeff AugustinNovember 4, 2026 (2026-11-04)

Production

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Development

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The series received a series order from Amazon Prime Video in July 2024 with the series produced in collaboration with Muhammad Ali's estate. The rights to his life story were originally acquired by executive producer Josh Wakely, who brought the project to Amazon. It is produced by Amazon MGM Studios.[5]

Ben Watkins is executive producer and showrunner on the series, with Watkins executive producing via Blue Monday, as well as directing of the first two episodes. Michael B. Jordan will executive produce for Outlier Society, with Outlier's president Elizabeth Raposo also serving as executive producer. Lonnie Ali, the widow of Muhammad Ali, and Authentic Brands Group's Corey Salter, Marc Rosen and Matthew Gross are also executive producers on the series, as are Michele Anthony and Boyd Muir. It is also produced by Authentic Studios, Roc Nation, PolyGram Entertainment, a Universal Music Group partner, and Grace: A Storytelling Company.[6][7][4]

Casting

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Jaalen Best leads the cast as Cassius Clay/Muhammad Ali.[8] Omari Hardwick and Dana Gourrier were cast as his parents in February 2025.[7] In the same month, Amin Joseph was cast as Sonny Liston in a main role.[9] In April, Kai Parham was cast Ali's brother and boxer Rudy as a series regular, while Michael Ealy was cast as Malcolm X in a recurring role.[10] In May, Giovanni Ribisi, Erica Tazel, Reno Wilson, and Aleks Paunovic joined the series in recurring roles.[11] In October 2026, Chris Jericho was announced as a cast member of the series.[3]

Filming

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Filming took place in Cobourg, Ontario in April 2025, and at the Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority, an Art Deco style building in Hamilton's North End, in July 2025.

Additional filming locations included Toronto and elsewhere in Hamilton.[12][13][14][4]

Release

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All eight episodes premiered on November 4, 2026.[1][3]

Reception

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 100%, based on 10 critic reviews, with an average rating of 7.8/10.[15] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 79 out of 100, based on 6 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[16]

References

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  1. 1 2 Petski, Denise (July 4, 2026). "Muhammad Ali Series 'The Greatest' Sets Prime Video Release Date; First-Look Teaser". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  2. ↑ "The Greatest - WGA Directory". Writers Guild of America. Retrieved October 25, 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 Cordero, Rosy (October 22, 2026). "Chris Jericho To Play Gorgeous George In Prime Video's Muhammad Ali Limited Series 'The Greatest'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 25, 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Cordero, Rosy (May 7, 2025). "Prime Video's Muhammad Ali Series 'The Greatest' Begins Production; Ben Watkins Set To Direct". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 7, 2025.
  5. ↑ Hailu, Selome (July 11, 2024). "Muhammad Ali Series 'The Greatest' Greenlit at Amazon Prime Video With Widow Lonnie Ali as EP, Jaalen Best to Star". Variety. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
  6. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (July 11, 2024). "Muhammad Ali Series 'The Greatest' Starring Jaalen Best Greenlighted By Prime Video From Michael B. Jordan & Ben Watkins". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
  7. 1 2 Otterson, Joe (February 5, 2025). "Muhammad Ali Amazon Series 'The Greatest' Casts Omari Hardwick, Dana Gourrier". Variety. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
  8. ↑ Jackson, Angelique (February 5, 2025). "M88 Signs 'The Greatest' Star Jaalen Best (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
  9. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (February 12, 2025). "'The Greatest': Amin Joseph To Play Boxer Sonny Liston In Amazon's Muhammad Ali Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 25, 2026.
  10. ↑ Cordero, Rosy (April 16, 2025). "Prime Video's Muhammad Ali Series 'The Greatest' Begins Production; Ben Watkins Set To Direct". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 25, 2026.
  11. ↑ Cordero, Rosy (May 25, 2025). "Giovanni Ribisi & Reno Wilson Among 4 To Recur In Prime Video's Muhammad Ali Series 'The Greatest'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 25, 2026.
  12. ↑ Gittins, Susan (January 24, 2025). "Prime's THE GREATEST With Jaalen Best as Muhammad Ali Filming in Toronto This Spring". North Hollywood Buzz. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
  13. ↑ "What's filming in Toronto and which celebrities you may just bump into". Toronto.com. March 19, 2025. Retrieved March 26, 2025.
  14. ↑ Fisher, Pete (May 1, 2025). "Video – "The Greatest" Wraps Up Filming in Cobourg". Todaysnorthumberland. Retrieved May 7, 2025.
  15. ↑ "The Greatest: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 4, 2026.
  16. ↑ "The Greatest: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved November 4, 2026.
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