Jamie Foxx to Play Mike Tyson in Limited Series from Antoine Fuqua

It seems as though the long awaited reality of Jamie Foxx getting to play Mike Tyson is finally coming to fruition, albeit a little different than was originally intended. The project, formerly set as a motion picture, is now being shopped as a limited series, with Antoine Fuqua signed on to direct. 

Foxx playing Tyson on screen is a proposal that you can trace back almost a decade, at least. Back in 2014, Finding Mike, as it was called then (the series is currently untitled), was set up with Foxx in the title role and none other than Martin Scorsese set to direct. That didn’t pan out, although Scorsese has clearly remained passionate about the project, as he is an executive producer on this limited series.

Even as recently as last year, Foxx was adamant that a film was going to be made one way or another, and it seems in that span of time the idea has shifted to a series proposal instead. 

Television, of course, isn’t the second-tier medium that it used to be seen as, and in a lot of ways a series might make more sense than a motion picture for a project like this. The series is said to span the life of Mike Tyson, which could format better for television which affords a lot more time than the commonly criticized biopic trope of trying to shove a person’s entire life into a 2-hour movie. 

Foxx has shown off his pitch-perfect Tyson impression numerous times over the years, and clearly the Oscar nominee is the right fit for the role in Tyson’s eyes, as the boxing legend has granted his seal of approval for this series proposal, making it the only authorized Tyson project in the works. 

Back in February, Hulu announced its own Tyson series, titled Iron Mike, which Tyson criticized as being a “tone-deaf cultural misappropriation of my life story”. 

He’s got much more positive words to say about the Foxx and Fuqua project, stating, “I have been looking to tell my story for quite some time. 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.” 

While there’s still no guarantee on the project being acquired by any network or streamer, things are looking more promising now than ever for Foxx to finally fulfill his dream of portraying Tyson on the screen.