New series about boxing legend Muhammad Ali being filmed in Cobourg from April 21 to May 2

The Town of Cobourg is going to be featured in the first-ever authorized scripted series about the life of boxing legend Muhammad Ali — and Cobourg residents will have a chance to be unpaid extras during a parade scene.

According to a media release from the town, a production company will be in Cobourg over the next two weeks for filming of the new Amazon Prime Video series The Greatest, which stars Jaalen Best as Cassius Clay (later known as Muhammad Ali).

The ongoing series is a spin-off of the 1977 biographical sports film The Greatest, based on Ali’s book of the same name, which followed his life from the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome to his regaining the heavyweight crown from George Foreman in their famous “Rumble in the Jungle” fight in 1974.

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The first season of the Amazon series is subtitled “I Shook Up the World” and begins in 1960 when 18-year-old Cassius Clay wins the Olympic gold medal. The series is described as a coming-of-age story that unfolds against the backdrop of cultural shifts, the Civil Rights movement, and Ali’s own spiritual awakening.

Directed by Ben Watkins, The Greatest is produced in collaboration with Ali’s estate — Ali died in 2016 at the age of 74 after a 32-year battle with Parkinson’s disease — with his widow Lonnie Ali serving as executive producer.

Along with Jaalen Best as Ali, The Greatest also stars Omari Hardwick as Ali’s father Cassius “Cash” Clay Sr., Dana Gourrier as Ali’s mother Odessa “Bird” Clay, Kai Parham as Ali’s younger brother Rudy Clay, Amin Joseph as boxer Sonny Liston (the world heavyweight champion Ali defeated in two controversial fights in 1964 and 1965), and Michael Ealy as Ali’s spiritual advisor and friend Malcolm X, the human rights activist with whom Ali later had a falling out after Malcolm X left the Nation of Islam.

The Greatest will be filming in the Toronto area from April 21 to August 31. Production company Reunion MA Production Inc. will be in Cobourg from Monday, April 21 until Friday, May 2, with filming day in downtown Cobourg on April 30.

Film preparation of store fronts and windows on King Street from Third to Hibernia will take place from April 21 to 25. The following week, on April 28 and 29, filming will take place at a private residence in the east end of Cobourg and filming preparation will begin in the James Cockburn Room at Victoria Hall.

On Wednesday, April 30, filming will take place in downtown Cobourg from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., including inside and outside the James Cockburn Room at Victoria Hall and on King Street from Third to Hibernia for the shooting of a parade scene. A community casting call will be issued for local residents to participate as unpaid walk-on extras during the parade scene.

The production will wrap up on May 1 and 2.

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During the production, vehicles will be parked in the Albert Street lot from April 21 to May 2, in the Marina Lot from April 27 to 30, and at the Victoria Park Campground from April 27 to 30. In addition, production vehicles will be using on-street parking on both sides of King Street from Third to Hibernia on April 30.

“Welcoming film productions to Cobourg plays a vital role in driving economic development and boosting tourism,” says Cobourg mayor Lucas Cleveland in the media release. “Each production supports local businesses and showcases the unique charm of our town to audiences far and wide.”

“It’s an exciting way to strengthen our local economy while keeping Cobourg on the map as a premier filming destination,” adds Cleveland.

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Perhaps as an attempt to counter any negative perceptions about an American series being filmed in Cobourg after U.S. president Donald Trump has imposed tariffs on Canada and threatened the country’s sovereignty, the media release notes the production company is hiring around 200 Canadian paid background actors and has around 150 Canadian crew members, including food service teams, directors, and minor cast members.

“All hotel accommodations are being booked locally,” the media release states. “The production team intends to support local businesses, including restaurants, pubs, and coffee shops throughout their stay.”

The release also states that, while residents will notice the American flag and bunting outside of Victoria Hall and on King Street for the week of April 28, “their presence will be kept to the minimum required times.”