Hulu Releases First Look at New Mike Tyson Series
A new Mike Tyson limited series is coming to Hulu, and a first look trailer has been released. The trailer of MIKE shows Tyson in different phases of his life, and Hulu also announced that the eight-episode series will premiere on Aug. 25. Trevante Rhodes, who starred in the hit film Moonlight, portrays Tyson in MIKE.
According to the official synopsis, MIKE "explores the dynamic and controversial story of Mike Tyson. The 8-episode limited series explores the tumultuous ups and downs of Tyson's boxing career and personal life – from being a beloved global athlete to a pariah and back again. Focusing the lens on Mike Tyson, the series examines class in America, race in America, fame and the power of media, misogyny, the wealth divide, the promise of the American Dream and ultimately our own role in shaping Mike's story."
Hulu also said that MIKE is an unauthorized look at Tyson's life. When the series was first announced in Feb. 2021, Tyson slammed Hulu for the project. "Hulu's announcement to do an unauthorized mini-series of the Tyson story without compensation, although unfortunate, isn't surprising," Tyson wrote in the Instagram post. "This announcement on the heels of social disparities in our country is a prime example of how Hulu's corporate greed led to this tone-deaf cultural misappropriation of the Tyson life story. To make this announcement during Black History Month only confirms Hulu's concern for dollars over respect for black story rights."
Karen Gist, the showrunner for MIKE, spoke to Entertainment Weekly and explained what the series is really about. "The show is not meant to glorify his life," Gist says. "We were never trying to say that Mike Tyson is a hero or Mike Tyson is a villain. Our goal was to take a very complicated and controversial figure and try to get under the hood of what he was praised and vilified for while staying true to our North Star of 'no one person is one thing.'"
Entertainment Weekly also mentioned that Russell Hornsby, Harvey Keitel, Laura Harrier and Li Eubanks star in MIKE with Rhodes. Tyson is one of the most dynamic boxers in history as he was the undisputed world heavyweight boxing champion from 1987 to 1990. Tyson is also the youngest boxer to win the heavyweight title, claiming the belt at 20 years old.