King of the World is an American television film which aired on January 10, 2000, on ABC. It chronicles the early stages of the career of heavyweight boxer Muhammad Ali (then known as Cassius Clay), who is portrayed by Terrence Howard. It is based upon a biography of the same name by David Remnick.[1]
| King of the World | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Muhammad Ali: King of the World |
| Written by | David Remnick (book) John Sacret Young (teleplay) |
| Directed by | John Sacret Young |
| Starring | Terrence Howard Steve Harris Chi McBride Gary Dourdan John Ventimiglia Jamie "Showtime" Stafford |
| Music by | John Frizzell |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Producers | Stephanie Germain Tom Patricia George W. Perkins John Sacret Young |
| Running time | 120 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | ABC |
| Release | January 10, 2000 |
Cast and crew
Sam Olivares with Terrence Howard. - Steve Harris - Sonny Liston
- Chi McBride - Drew Bundini Brown
- Gary Dourdan - Malcolm X
- John Ventimiglia - Angelo Dundee
- Jamie "Showtime" Stafford - Young Cassius Clay
Plot summary
Having won the gold medal for boxing in the light heavyweight division at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Kentucky native Cassius Clay (Terrence Howard) challenges professional heavyweight boxing champion Sonny Liston (Steve Harris) for the title. The media is both intrigued and repulsed by his brash manner and what appears to be self-worship. Despite being a heavy underdog, the 22-year-old Clay shocks the sports world by defeating Liston by technical knockout in their February 1964 bout, becoming heavyweight champion and (metaphorically) "king of the world".
