Variety has learned that Samuel L. Jackson will star in the upcoming Peacock true crime limited series “Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist.”
In December, Peacock ordered the series to series with Kevin Hart and Will Packer serving as executive producers and stars, respectively. It is based on the iHeartPodcast “Fight Night,” which was produced by Packer.
The series will take place in 1970s Atlanta. According to the official description, the film will recount “the notorious account of how an armed robbery that transpired on the eve of Muhammad Ali’s momentous 1970 comeback fight transformed the course of not only an individual’s life, but the destiny of an entire city.”
Frank Moten, a notorious gangster who earned the appellation “the Black Godfather” from New York tabloids, will be portrayed by Jackson.
Shaye Ogbonna co-creates and co-directs the program with Jason Horwitch. Both individuals collaborate with Bryan Smiley, Mike Stein, Hart, Packer, and Sabrina Wind as executive producers for Hartbeat; Will Packer Media’s Conal Byrne, Will Pearson, and Carrie Lieberman for iHeartPodcasts; and Jeff Keating and Lars Jacobson for iHeartPodcasts. The first two episodes will be directed by Craig Brewer, who also serves as an executive producer. Tiffany Brown of Hartbeat and Kenny Burns of Studio 43 serve as co-executive producers. UTV functions as the production facility.
Reuniting in this role are Jackson and Brewer, following their previous collaboration on the 2006 film “Black Snake Moan.” It is also the most recent television role that Jackson has assumed in recent years. Jackson, who is primarily recognized for his film roles, starred in “Secret Invasion” in 2023 and “The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey” on Apple TV+ in 2022.
Jackson is regarded as one of the era’s most renowned actors. Nominated for an Academy Award, he made his breakthrough performance in Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction.” Subsequent to that, the two executives have collaborated on the productions of “Jackie Brown,” “Django Unchained,” and “The Hateful Eight.” Jackson’s portrayal of Nick Fury in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has also garnered him recognition. “Unbreakable” and its sequel “Glass,” several “Star Wars” films, “Shaft,” and “Snakes on a Plane” are among his other notable film roles.
