As we’ve seen so many times before, it appears that Hollywood has yet another case of twin productions, with two Mike Tyson biopic series currently in development. While we already know that Jamie Foxx is attached in the starring role with his series directed by Antoine Fuqua, we now have word on who will play the former boxing champion in a new series from the creative minds behind “I, Tonya.”
According to THR, Hulu has landed Trevante Rhodes for the lead role in the upcoming Mike Tyson biopic series, “Iron Mike.” As the title implies, the series will chart the rise of Tyson, who quickly rose through the ranks of boxing becoming the heavyweight champion at the age of 20. From there, he held titles for years and then courted controversy after he was convicted of rape in the early-‘90s, eventually serving a little under three years in prison. From there, he made a boxing comeback but was sidelined again after an in-ring incident where he bit a chunk of Evander Holyfield’s ear off during a bout. Now, Tyson continues to be a public figure, showing up in various acting roles.
“Iron Mike” is created by “I, Tonya” screenwriter Steven Rogers. Karin Gist is attached as the showrunner and producer, with Rogers’ “I, Tonya” collaborator Craig Gillespie directing the series. Rhodes is probably best known for his role in Barry Jenkins’ “Moonlight.” However, most recently, he’s appeared in projects such as “The Predator,” “Bird Box,” and “The United States vs. Billie Holiday.”
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While Tyson is the subject of the scripted drama series, the actual former champ is not involved in the creation of the series in any capacity. Hulu picked up “Iron Mike” in February but has yet to announce when the series might begin production or when it will arrive on the streaming service.