Ali and Malcolm X’s friendship was portrayed in the Regina King-directed film One Night in Miami last year, which was a fictionalized account of an evening they spent with Sam Cooke and Jim Brown. Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad Ali comes from Barris’ previous deal with Netflix. He has since moved to ViacomCBS in a deal that gives him equity in BET Studios. Barris is also producing a documentary on civil rights attorney Ben Crump.
Barris and Netflix also still seem to be on good terms despite his departure. The Hollywood boss and 50 Cent are bringing their creative talents to the streaming service and will be producing a new series based on the rapper’s 2009 bestselling book The 50th Law. The untitled series will be written by Barris who’ll also serve as one of the executive producers alongside 50 Cent.
Co-authored by Robert Greene, whose works also include 48 Laws of Power and The Art of Seduction, The 50th Law is a semi-autobiographical account detailing 50 Cent’s rise in music. The book is based on the G-Unit leader’s motto of “fear nothing” and how it applied to his previous life in the streets and working his way through the music industry. He also talks of lessons learned from historical figures like Sun Tzu, Socrates, Napoleon, Malcolm X and James Baldwin and how they applied to his decisions.
