‘Fight Night: Million Dollar Heist’ Creator Shaye Ogbonna Takes on New Limited Series About His Community

When the new Peacock limited series, Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist, was announced, the internet was set on fire. The star-studded cast which includes Kevin Hart ("Chicken Man"), Samuel L. Jackson ("Frank Moten"), Taraji P. Henson ("Vivian Thomas"), Don Cheadle ("JD Hudson"), and Terrence Howard (“Cadillac Richie”) had fans going wild with the thought of a series starring groundbreaking actors in Black Hollywood. For creator Shaye Ogbonna, the new series is a dream come true, and he is ready to “unleash [the series] to the world.” 

Premiering September 5, Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist is based on the acclaimed iHeart true-crime podcast about the infamous story of how an armed robbery on the night of Muhammad Ali’s historic 1970 comeback fight changed not only one man’s life but ultimately transformed Atlanta into the “Black Mecca.” When a hustler named Chicken Man hosts an afterparty to celebrate the fight with a guest list of the country’s wealthiest, the night ends with the most brazen criminal underworld heist in Atlanta’s history. Suspected of masterminding the crime, Chicken Man is hellbent on clearing his name but must convince his old adversary, J.D. Hudson, one of the first Black detectives in the city’s desegregated police force who is tasked with bringing those responsible to justice.

“I always thought this show could have an iconic cast,” Ogbonna says about the upcoming series in an interview with The Quintessential Gentleman. “When we first started to pitch this before we even remotely had this cast, I always thought of it and pitched it as this could be the Black Ocean's Eleven…as a creative that's always been a dream of mine, to make something with just an amazing amount of talent lined up. I think it's the reason that a lot of people were interested in this product, they wanted to sign on because of the opportunity to do that.”

With a stellar cast, Ogbonna says there were no significant challenges in getting everyone on board for the series. Most of the top-line talent had already worked together, from Henson and Howard in Hustle & Flow to Henson and Hart in the Think Like a Man franchise. The connection and chemistry between the cast will elevate the series, the showrunner mentions.

“I’ve worked on high-profile projects as a writer, but this is my first time as the creative voice,” Ogbonna says about being a first-time showrunner. “This was completely different than anything I have ever done…I am the one people are looking to for creative direction… I keep the train moving.”

Like many who were born and raised in Atlanta, as well as those who have moved there and grown to love the city, Ogbonna takes pride in being from what many call “Black Hollywood.” The Atlanta native describes Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist as a project close to his heart.

“I'm from Atlanta and I'm telling a story about Atlanta. And I take that very seriously. It was super important to me that I got to be able to walk through the streets of Atlanta,” Ogbonna says about the series. “I have family in Atlanta. It was extremely important that we represented the city, This  is a love letter to Atlanta.” 

As a lover of history, Ogbonna says he was inspired by the tradition of Black stories being passed down orally through generations. “Being from the City, I never heard this story,” he says about why he was born to create the series. “Ultimately, I took on the story because it was about my community.”

Check out the full interview.