Ali (2001 film)

Ali is a 2001 American epic biographical sports drama film co-written, produced and directed by Michael Mann. The film focuses on ten years in the life of the boxer Muhammad Ali, played by Will Smith, beginning with his capture of the heavyweight title from Sonny Liston in 1964 and ending with his reclaiming the title from George Foreman in The Rumble in the Jungle fight of 1974. The project began in 1992 when producer Paul Ardaji visited Ali on his 50th birthday and persuaded him to allow a new authorized biographical film to be made about his life. Ali had previously starred as himself in the 1977 film The Greatest, which was based on his autobiography of the same name and which covers a similar period of his life.