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Mike Tyson, rather than just being a sportsperson, has become a pop culture phenomenon for an entire generation. Very few subjects would be able to generate as much drama as the life of Tyson. With Mike, a drama series based on the life and career of Mike Tyson, scheduled to release on Hulu on August 25, 2022, expectations are very high. Recreating the life of someone like the iconic sportsman would be as exciting as it would be tricky.
The sports drama genre is growing in popularity among movie and TV show audiences. Documentaries such as Welcome to Wrexham and Legacy: A True Story of The LA Lakers have also been capitalizing on this trend to tell stories about sports clubs and their journey to success. The trope of the underdog with immeasurable passion, making it big in sports, is perhaps one that never gets old.
Viewers are, therefore, curious to know what makes Mike a must-watch. Check out a few interesting facts about the highly-anticipated series before it drops on Hulu.
Everything we know about Mike so far
1) Everyone in front and behind the camera
Trevante Rhodes has played Tyson in the series, which adds considerably to the overall anticipation harbored by eager viewers. Rhodes has previously been in the popular Academy-Award winning film Moonlight. Birdbox and The Predator are other films the actor has been a part of.
Considering the energy that Tyson's personality radiates, playing him on screen would be a fairly difficult feat to achieve. What Rhodes has managed to do with the character is yet to be seen.
Additionally, the show stars Li Eubanks, Scott Macdonald, Kale Browne, and BJ Minor in other important roles. Steven Rogers is the screenwriter for Mike and has previously gained recognition for writing Margot Robbie starrer I, Tonya which was centered around a sportsperson too and received mostly positive reviews.
2) What the trailer gives away
"You may know Tyson, but do you know Mike?," the text in the teaser reads, suggesting that the series has more to reveal about the man's life than is known to the public. The high production value is very evident from the shots of Tyson boxing, running, and even throwing a box television across the room in anger. The intensity of the drama is quite apparent in the trailer.
Mike's trailer also offered a deeper dive into what the series is expected to depict. It takes us through all the phases and sides of Tyson that the creators intend to reveal. The music is as cinematic as the visuals, and Trevante Rhodes pulls off Tyson's look with ease. The themes of longing, love, immortality, and pride are also teased and will perhaps be examined in the show.
3) The series is being produced by Margot Robbie and Tom Ackerley
LuckyChap Entertainment is a production company owned by Margot Robbie and Tom Ackerley. The company has several films to its credit, I, Tonya and Promising Young Woman being the most popular of the lot. Greta Gerwig's Barbie, Ryan Gosling's look from which was all over the internet recently, is also being produced by LuckyChap.
The two names associated with the show promise a fun viewing experience. Margot Robbie has also previously worked with the director of of the series, Craig Gillespie on I, Tonya and this project too is expected to create the same amount of impact on its viewers.
4) Mike Tyson isn't very pleased with the show about his life
"Hulu is the streaming version of the slave master. They stole my story and didn’t pay me," Tyson wrote in the caption to an Instagram post where he criticized the makers of the show for stealing his story, denying him compensation, and further stated that he does not support the streaming platform's take on his life story. Tyson was widely supported by fans and well-wishers from across the globe.
Jamie Foxx was among the many celebrities who expressed his support for Tyson after his statement on Instagram. However, Hulu and the producers have remained tight-lipped about the issue as they continue to gear up for the series release on August 25, 2022.
5) Everything the story explores
As is clear from the teaser and trailer, the show attempts to retell Tyson's story in the most cinematic way possible. The ups and downs of his life, the identity that he assumes, his romantic relationships, childhood, and every other personal part of his life will probably be explored. However, Tyson's dissatisfaction with the show makes it clear that the plot is not based entirely on his experience.
The official description for the show, as given by Hulu, also describes the show as a commentary on concepts such as fame, racial divide, class, and misogyny. The American Dream is another idea that the characters will be seen grappling with in the show. Retelling a highly controversial story that has many interpretations seems like an extremely challenging, albeit exciting task.
Mike releases on Hulu on August 25, 2022 and is being talked about extensively because of the show itself and all the controversy it has managed to provoke on the internet. Of the many things that the mini-series has to offer, the radical subjects it explores and the performance by Trevante Rhodes are the two most anticipated aspects of the show.
