May 17, 2004

"ALI," THE THEATRICAL BIOGRAPHY DRAMA ABOUT MUHAMMAD ALI

STARRING WILL SMITH MAKES ITS NETWORK TELEVISION PREMIERE

ON THE "CBS SUNDAY MOVIE," SATURDAY, MAY 29

ON THE CBS TELEVISION NETWORK

ALI, the 2001 biography of sports legend, Muhammad Ali (Will Smith "Men In Black"), chronicling from his younger years to his days in the ring has its network television premiere as the "CBS Sunday Movie," Sunday, May 29 (8:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

In 1964, when Ali, then Cassius Clay, fights Sonny Liston, he shows he is a force to be reckoned with when he wins his first heavyweight championship. Clay then forges a new relationship with Malcolm X (Mario Van Peebles "Judgment Day"), prompting his name change to Mohammed Ali. After the death of Malcolm X, Ali refuses to be drafted to fight in Vietnam, he is convicted on the charge of draft evasion (which stripped him of his title), and goes through subsequent court appeals that eventually cleared his name. Finally, we see Ali's return to the ring in his quest to regain the heavyweight championship -- first from Joe Frasier, then from George Foreman.

Along the way, Ali has several dalliances with women including his first wife Sonji Roi (Jada Pinkett Smith "The Matrix Revolutions"), second wife Belinda Boyd (Nona M. Gaye "The Nutty Professor"), to-be third wife Veronica Porsche (Michael Michele "ER") and integral relationships with his male friends and supporters, including the irrepressible Howard Cosell (Jon Voight "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider"), trainer Angelo Dundee (Ron Silver "Skin"), and the enigmatic Bundini (Jamie Foxx "Shade").

Michael Mann ("The Insider") directed the film, which was written by Stephen J. Rivele, Christopher Wilkinson, Eric Roth and Michael Mann and adapted from the story by Gregory Allen Howard, Howard Bingham, Lee Caplin, Graham King are the executive producers, Paul Ardaji, A. Kitman Ho, James Lassiter, Michael Mann, and Jon Peters are the producers, Gusmano Cesaretti and Kathleen M. Shea are the associate producers and John D. Schofield and Michael Waxman are the co-producer of the 2001 Sony theatrical release.

RATING: TVPG-DLSV

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Press Contacts: Kim Sartori 212/975-4574 kasartori@cbs.com

Karin Failla 323/575-4269 karin.failla@tvc.cbs.com