FMS Prof. Willmott Draws Lessons From African American History
LAWRENCE – With the 2019 Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for his work on “BlacKkKlansman” on his mantel, Kevin Willmott can focus on the screenwriting projects he likes. And while the University of Kansas professor of film & media studies has carved out a niche telling little-known stories of African American history that resonate with current events, Willmott’s latest project takes a fresh look at perhaps the most famous African American and most popular athlete of all time – boxing champion Muhammad Ali.
The producers (Willmott shares executive-producing credit) have announced a deal to develop the eight-part series “Excellence: 8 Fights” about Ali's life for NBC’s Peacock streaming video service.
Willmott said he had been working with actor/producer Morgan Freeman’s Revelations Entertainment, which owns the rights to Jonathan Eig’s acclaimed 2017 biography, “Ali: A Life," for some time on a script. No star or release date has been announced.