Cassius Clay returns home an Olympic champion, but a gold medal won’t protect him from racism in the new trailer for The Greatest.
Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios released the preview on Wednesday, Oct. 14, offering a first look at Jaalen Best as the young boxer who would become Muhammad Ali.
After winning gold at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Clay returns to Louisville, Kentucky, where he confronts the harsh reality of being Black in a segregated America.
One scene shows him taking a seat in the whites-only section of a diner, where he faces anger and is ordered to leave.
“I’m tired of being quiet, when I know something’s wrong,” he says.
The video also shows a teenage Clay struggling with the decision to remain an amateur fighter or turn pro and face more formidable opponents.
“You know who you are, don’t you. Who are you?” his mother asks. “I’m the greatest,” he responds.
The first authorized scripted centers on Ali, the series follows his coming of age story inside and outside the ring. The tagline reads: “The World Remembers Muhammad Ali as an Icon. The Series Reveals the Man.”
In addition to Jaalen Best, the cast includes Omari Hardwick as his father, Cassius Clay Sr. Dana Gourrier plays his mother Odessa “Bird” Clay, and Kai Parham co-stars as his brother Rudy Clay.
Amin Joseph plays fearsome heavyweight opponent Sonny Liston, Giovanni Ribisi portrays trainer Angelo Dundee, and Michael Ealy takes on the role of Malcolm X.
“You don’t know what a revolution is!” Ealy says at a rally, offering inspiration to Clay.
“I’ve been waiting to hear something like that my whole life,” the young boxer tells him.
Best previously had a recurring role as Ryan Craig on The CW’s All American: Homecoming. His credits also include appearances on Magnum P.I. and American Horror Stories.
Ben Watkins (Cross) created the series and serves as showrunner and executive producer. Muhammad Ali’s widow Lonnie Ali is also an executive producer.
The series comes from Watkins’ Blue Monday Productions, Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society, Authentic Studios, Roc Nation, Polygram Entertainment and Grace: A Storytelling Company.
Additional executive producers include Outlier Society president Elizabeth Raposo, Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, Corey Salter, Matthew Gross, Marc Rosen, Josh Wakely, and Desiree Perez.
All eight episodes of The Greatest begin streaming Wednesday, Nov. 4 on Prime Video.
You can watch the trailer for the series below:
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