Get this, ”Fight Night” is adapted from the acclaimed iHeart true-crime podcast of the same name. It delves into the real events that took place in Atlanta on October 26, 1970. Will Packer, who produced the podcast, also serves as an executive producer for the series.
Kevin Hart plays Chicken Man, a hustler striving to make his mark among elite Black mafia members, gangsters, and powerful figures not just in Georgia but nationwide. He throws an afterparty to celebrate the historic fight between Muhammad Ali and Jerry Quarry, marking Ali’s return to boxing after being banned for refusing military draft. FYI, that was a big deal back then.
We won’t say to much but the party takes a disastrous turn when attendees are robbed in what is known as Atlanta’s most audacious underworld heist, with Chicken Man suspected of masterminding the plot. He must then work to prove his innocence as law enforcement seeks to bring justice to the victims.
Don Cheadle plays Detective J.D. Hudson, who faces the complex challenge of investigating the heist, especially since some victims are also criminals. That’s a good role for Cheadle, he has played a great cop or federal agent in several roles in the past.
So the podcast that inspired the limited series, first aired back in 2020, and provides the storyline:
“On October 26, 1970, Muhammad Ali triumphantly returned to boxing in Atlanta, Georgia. But the next morning, national headlines featured one of the biggest heists in history. At the center was a hustler named ‘Chicken Man.’ Fans arrived in Rolls Royces from New York City, wearing vibrant fur coats and diamonds. They entered the arena with engraved invitations, cheering when the first-round bell rang, minus two empty seats. After the fight, many top Black mafia leaders headed to Chicken Man’s house for a celebration, only to be met by sawed-off shotguns. On FIGHT NIGHT, J.D. Hudson, one of Atlanta’s first Black detectives, who helped lead Ali into the ring, was assigned to the robbery investigation by the police chief the next day. When asked years later, ‘When did the investigation end?’ J.D. replied, ‘When everybody was dead.’”
Behind the camera are Shaye Ogbonna and Jason Horwitch who serve as creators and showrunners. Executive producers include Bryan Smiley and Mike Stein for Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat, Will Packer and Sabrina Wind for Will Packer Media, and Conal Byrne, Will Pearson, and Carrie Lieberman for iHeartPodcasts, alongside Jeff Keating, Lars Jacobson, Hart, and Packer.
Watch the trailer for “Fight Night” here.
The post WATCH: ‘Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist’ Trailer Starring Kevin Hart in Limited Series Based on True Story first appeared on The Source.
The post WATCH: ‘Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist’ Trailer Starring Kevin Hart in Limited Series Based on True Story appeared first on The Source.