Will Smith On Going The Distance For Ali
Michael Mann had his work cut out when he chose to make a movie about the king of heavyweight boxing. Fortunately for him, the Fresh Prince was close at hand…
‘Loud’ and ‘upbeat’ – two words that are often used to describe Will Smith. Ask the Independence Day star about Muhammad Ali, however, and he goes into hush tones.
“No sportsman has ever meant as much as Ali. He transcends sport. You could never have seen a round of boxing and the chances are you’d still know who Muhammad Ali was. At the peak of his popularity, it was claimed that his was the most recognized name in the world after ‘Jesus Christ’ and ‘Mickey Mouse’. It’s a big claim but not many people would say that wasn’t the case.”
As the director of Heat and Public Enemies, Michael Mann has long had a flair for the epic. In taking on Ali – an account of the 10 years between Ali’s first defeat of Sonny Liston and the Rumble In The Jungle – the Oscar-nominated filmmaker risked alienating both film and sports fans the world over. For things to go swimmingly, it was crucial that the erstwhile Cassius Clay endorse the actor cast in the title role.
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