In an interview with Digital Trends, director Muta’Ali discusses CassiusClay's transformation into MuhammadAli in the new documentary CassiusXBecomingAli.
Muhammad Ali was one of the most prominent figures of the 20th century. In the ring, his sheer power combined with agile footwork to catapult Ali to glory as a world champion who finished his career as arguably the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time. Outside the ring, his larger-than-life persona and fearless demeanor transcended sports as Ali became a civil rights hero and global icon. Before he became Ali, however, he was Cassius Clay, a young boxer with aspirations for greatness.
Muhammad: That’s a great question. Back in 2020, I got a call from an executive producer named Mick McAvoy, who was calling from Scotland. At that time, he was at Two Rivers, [who] are a part of making this whole film. They had optioned Stuart’s book, and Mick was like, “Yeah, I think you’d be a perfect director for this film about Muhammad Ali.” In my mind, I’m like, “Oh my goodness. There are so many films [about Ali].
Muhammad: Absolutely. And not to forget, the Smithsonian Channel set this all in motion. After I thought this could be great, the Smithsonian blessed us and was behind the project from beginning to end. I think the work that they’ve done to make sure this story gets out there is really phenomenal. It’s a great experience as a director to be working on a project with them.
The other thing is his pageantry is otherworldly. We document him in London when he’s fighting Henry Cooper, and he walks into the ring with a big crown on his head and a robe. His ability to draw the crowd into the fantastic side of this head-on competition is so huge that sometimes people mistakenly think that that was 99% of who he was.
You interview a wide range of people for this documentary, and I think the one that stands out is Ambassador Attallah Shabazz, Malcolm X’s daughter, because of the history between her, Ali, and her father. Take me through the process of securing Ambassador Shabazz for the documentary. Was she happy to speak with you? Did she have any hesitation?
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