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Ex-boxer Tyson (as a spectator at a fight in May): "Heads will roll"
Photo: Al Bello/Getty Images
In 1987, at the age of 21, Mike Tyson was the "Undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the World" - the world champion in heavyweight boxing in all relevant associations at the same time.
It was the early climax of a life story that was to be followed by dramatic low points with a prison sentence for rape and the bite attack on Evander Holyfield.
A life story that calls for a media retelling.
As early as 1995, the German director Uli Edel filmed Tyson's life from a difficult childhood in Brooklyn to the rape trial in 1992 with Michael Jai White as »Iron Mike«.
In 2008, a documentary about Tyson's life by James Toback premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.
But another announced film adaptation has now triggered Mike Tyson's protest.
"Hulu stole my story," Tyson tweeted about the eight-part mini-series Mike, which will premiere August 25 on US streaming service Hulu.
Hulu offered Dana White, president of the mixed martial arts organization Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), millions "to promote their slave master takeover of my life story."
White rejected what Tyson will never forget.
When the unauthorized series was first announced in February 2021, Tyson accused Hulu of greed and cultural appropriation.
Shortly thereafter, Mike Tyson announced a high-profile biopic project, produced by Martin Scorsese, starring Jamie Foxx as the boxer, directed by Antoine Fuqua.
However, things have been quiet about this film recently.
Hulu's series creator Steven Rogers defended "Mike."
He would wish Tyson would change his mind when he saw the production.
Tyson was not spoken to in advance because he had already sold the rights to his own view of his life, Rogers told TV critics.
"As a storyteller, I don't want to rely on just one source either," he continued.
Efforts were also made to draw figures such as Tyson's ex-wife Robin Givens or Desiree Washington, who accused him of raping her in 1991, with "depth" and "respect".
Lead actor Trevante Rhodes ("Moonlight") said that since he couldn't speak to Tyson, he studied his boxing style to get closer to the character of his character.
Mike Tyson doesn't see himself as an isolated case.
"Hulus' model of stealing the rights to celebrity life stories is tremendously greedy," Tyson tweeted.
The streaming service was recently criticized for its biographical mini-series »Pam & Tommy« about Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee.
"I know she will never, ever watch this," Entertainment Weekly magazine quoted a person close to the actress as saying.
Tyson received support from one of the boxing federations whose title he had won in better times.
World Boxing Council (WBC) President Mauricio Sulaiman wrote that Hulu misrepresented that the series was produced with Tyson's consent.
That's the only reason why the WBO world champion belts were made available for the production.
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