[Source: CNN Entertainment]
“Fightland” is coming out swinging.
The new Starz drama is set in the underworld of British boxing and boasts a cast of talented British actors including Howard Charles as Maduka “Duke” Kilroy who climbs to the top of the sport before tragedy strikes, motivating him to seek revenge against those he believes are responsible.
But for some in the US the hook might be rapper turned Hollywood power player Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, who serves as an executive producer.
It’s a world Jackson is familiar with. In 2012, he got into boxing promotion with his company SMS Promotions before it dissolved in 2015 after filing for bankruptcy.
Jackson has thoughts on why boxing holds such a central place in culture.
“I think it goes all the way back to Rome,” he said in an interview. “It’s the gladiators, it’s our modern-day version of it.”
Jackson believes audiences are attracted to the discipline it takes to be successful in the sport and noted that “it’s the only sport that you can’t pass anyone the ball.”
American culture has long loved a boxing storyline. “Fightland,” which premieres Friday, comes as buzz begins to build around the Sylvester Stallone bio-pic “I Play Rocky.”
The film stars Anthony Ippolito as the actor who scored a knockout with the now iconic 1976 boxing film after insisting that he portray the main character in the movie he wrote.
When asked which he preferred, “Rocky” or its 2015 spinoff/sequel “Creed” starring Michael B. Jordan, Jackson didn’t hesitate to answer “Rocky” with a smile.
“To me with Stallone, what he did in that period was so incredible because sometimes we gotta make it, we gotta come up with it ourselves and make it,” Jackson said. “If he didn’t come up with it then no ‘Rocky,’ no ‘Creed.’”
‘To live is to fight’
“Fight films, fight stories, they are a metaphor for our own struggle,” said Howard Charles, who plays the main character Duke. “That’s why boxing is so big and always will be I think because people can relate to a greater or lesser degree.”
“To live is to fight, as that Latin expression goes,” he added. “We’re all fighting for something, be it love, money or whatever.”
Deborah Ayorinde stars as Joy Marshall, who is both the wife of kingpin Kingsley Marshall (played by Nicholas Pinnock) and the object of Duke’s desire. She said that fighting spirit is reflected in the plots.
“All of the characters are fighting for something or fighting against something,” she said. “Some of them are fighting against themselves.
I feel like Joy is fighting with herself so I think that people who are fans of boxing or even not will really be able to relate and enjoy.”
Pinnock, the show’s resident villain, has doubled down on pugilism as he also stars in the boxing film “Heavyweight,” which recently started streaming on Prime and Apple TV.
He believes audiences naturally enjoy seeing winners and the “fight for dominance” that in real life can equate to fighting to be the dominant one in relationships and careers.
“In this particular show, Kingsley is fighting for dominance over London against the other gangs,” he said. “There are some really good parallels there that will really resonate with the audience and how they the duality of the rise and the fall of these men.”
Crime and boxing isn’t just the formula for “Fightland.”
Bobby Harrison, a manager and promoter for more than 15 years, pointed out that there are real life parallels when it comes to the history of the sport.
“In the 30s, 40s, maybe even 50s, you had the organized crime element. Gangs were involved, especially in the East Coast,” said Harrison, who works with several current boxers including Eridson Garcia and The Grandy Twins. “People always like gangster stuff when it comes to TV and movies and at least back then boxing was closely related to organized crime.”
No one knows better how much audiences enjoy it than Jackson.
His partnership with the Starz network has seen success thanks to gritty crime dramas including his “Power” franchise and the “BMF” series.
Jackson is hoping to score a knockout by duplicating that success with his series set across the pond in a city he considers “one of the most beautiful places that I experienced.”
