Mike Tyson Limited Series Directed By Antoine Fuqua Will Star Jamie Foxx
Jamie Foxx has been talking about playing Mike Tyson for years now, and it looks like it's finally happening. The actor will star in and produce a Mike Tyson limited series based on the boxer's life. The show, titled Tyson, has no network or streamer attached just yet, but Antoine Fuqua will direct, and Martin Scorsese is listed as one of the executive producers.Variety has the news that Jamie Foxx will star as Mike Tyson in Tyson, a limited series about the boxer's life. Colin Preston wrote the pilot and is working on scripts for the full series, while Antoine Fuqua is set to direct. Fuqua will also executive produce along with Foxx, and Martin Scorsese. Tyson's Legends Only League will also executive produce, which means the real Tyson will have a say in how the series plays out.
Foxx has been attached to play Tyson for a few years now in various different projects. Back in 2014, it was revealed that Foxx would star in a movie about Tyson written by Terence Winter (Boardwalk Empire, The Wolf of Wall Street). At the time it was also announced that digital technology would be used to de-age Foxx for the role. One has to wonder if that'll happen with this series, since Foxx is even older now than he was in 2014, and much older than Tyson was when he first started fighting. In 2015, Foxx said that Scorsese would actually direct the movie – but now the project is no longer a movie, and Scorsese is just onboard as an executive producer.
Tyson burst onto the scene in the 1980s and became the youngest boxer to win a heavyweight title at 20-years-old. He went on to win his first 19 professional fights by knockout, with 12 of those knockouts coming in the first round. But outside the ring, Tyson's personal life was controversial – he was convicted of rape in 1992 and sentenced to six years in prison. He was released in March of 1995 after serving less than three years of his sentence. After his release, he staged a boxing comeback, but that, too, ended up being controversial following an incident in the ring in 1997 when Tyson bit off a chunk of opponent Evander Holyfield's ear.
"I have been looking to tell my story for quite some time," Tyson said. "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."