
*We sat down with renowned producer Will Packer to discuss his latest project, “Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist,” a gripping new series based on the acclaimed iHeart true-crime podcast now streaming on Peacock.
Packer, known for his blockbuster hits and compelling storytelling, dives deep into the story behind one of the most infamous heists in sports history. The series unpacks the dramatic events of how an armed robbery on the night of Muhammad Ali’s historic 1970 comeback fight changed not only one man’s life but ultimately transformed Atlanta into the “Black Mecca.”
Here’s the official synopsis: When a hustler named Chicken Man (Kevin Hart) hosts an afterparty to celebrate the fight with a guest list of the country’s wealthiest, the night ends with the most brazen criminal underworld heist in Atlanta’s history. Suspected of masterminding the crime, Chicken Man is hellbent on clearing his name but must convince his old adversary, J.D. Hudson (Don Cheadle), one of the first Black detectives in the city’s desegregated police force, who is tasked with bringing those responsible to justice.
Packer said he was “drawn to the true story cinematic elements that already existed before I got my hands on it.”
“The idea of this off-the-books, unsanctioned Muhammad Ali fight, at a time when he was a very polarizing figure in this country. We think of Muhammad Ali, and he is one of the most beloved athletes of all time. But there was a time when he was a very polarizing figure,” Packer continued. “He refused to go to Vietnam, he said it was against his morals. A lot of people said, you know what, you’re turning your back on your country, your country needs you the most, you’re a draft dodger. He got blackballed, he could not do what was his livelihood, to go out and be a boxer.”

“You had some folks in Atlanta that said, we’re gonna take advantage of that fact. New York you won’t take him, California you won’t take him, Vegas you won’t take him. We’ll take him. Because they saw it as an opportunity to raise their profile for the city. The fact that that happened and attracted top athletes and entertainers and gangsters from all over the country, who then came down to Atlanta, went to an underground casino night thrown by a local hustler, and then all got robbed. That to me, I was like, how do I not know this story? That story’s crazy,” Packer explained.
“So for me, that’s what attracted me to it. We try to tell it in such a way that was true to the source material, true to the true story but also allowed us license to augment the story and tell it in a way that would be engaging and interesting to contemporary audiences.”
The “Fight Night” ensemble cast includes Samuel L. Jackson (“Frank Moten”), Taraji P. Henson (“Vivian Thomas”), Don Cheadle (“JD Hudson”), and Terrence Howard (“Cadillac Richie”). The series also features Chloe Bailey (“Lena Mosley”), Marsha Stephanie Blake (“Delores Hudson”), Dexter Darden (“Muhammad Ali”), Lori Harvey (“Lola Falana”), and Sinqua Walls (“McKinley Rogers”).
Created by Shaye Ogbonna, Kevin Hart serves as an executive producer on the series with Packer and Sabrina Wind for Will Packer Media, as well as Bryan Smiley and Mike Stein for Hartbeat.
The first three episodes of “Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist” debuted September 5 on Peacock with new episodes premiering every Thursday through October 10.
Watch our full conversation with Will Packer via the clip below.
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