MOVIE NEWS – Mike Tyson is calling Hulu the “streaming version of slaver master” for making the biopic series Mike without his approval.
Mike Tyson is very upset about Hulu’s upcoming biopic series Mike, which was inspired by his life but made without his permission. Tyson expressed his displeasure when the series was announced and is working on an official biopic with Jamie Foxx, Antoine Fuqua and Martin Scorsese.
Hulu’s Mike stars Moonlight breakout Trevante Rhodes as Mike Tyson and is described as an unfiltered and unbiased exploration of the boxer’s controversial life.
Mike comes from the same team as I, Tonya, with Margot Robbie executive producing. Interestingly, neither Hulu nor the showrunners have made it a secret that Mike is an unauthorized biopic and claim that’s why everyone should watch it. However, they do claim that Mike does not attempt to portray the former boxer as a villain and leaves it up to the viewers to decide what they think of Mike Tyson. Here’s what Mike showrunner Karen Gist told ET Online:
“We just wanted to tell an unbiased story and have the audience decide what they think or feel. Challenging what people think they know about Mike and hoping that they come away from the series with something else to think about. Whether you like him or hate him, does the story make you question how complicit society has been? That was the intention.”
Mike Tyson, however, is not satisfied: a few days ago, he took to social media to lash out at Hulu. In a fiery Instagram post, Tyson wrote:
“Don’t let Hulu fool you. I don’t support their story about my life. It’s not 1822. It’s 2022. They stole my life story and didn’t pay me. To Hulu executives I’m just a n****r they can sell on the auction block.”
“Hulu is the streaming version of the slave master,” Tyson added.
“Hulu stole my story. They’re Goliath and I’m David. Heads will roll for this,” Tyson wrote in a sinister tweet.
Mike Tyson has managed to stay out of trouble for a long time, but he’s not to be trifled with. Tyson recently beat up a plane passenger who was harassing him and throwing a water bottle at him. Add to this that after the investigation, no charges were brought against Tyson, saying that he was indeed the victim of harassment and that his action was legitimate self-defence.
Steven Rogers, one of the series’ creators and writers, recently addressed Tyson’s allegations and said:
“We actually couldn’t talk to him because his life rights were already taken, so that was never on the table.”
“I would hope that if he watches it that he would change his opinion. For me, as a writer, as a storyteller, I don’t really like to be reliant on just one source. I really like to do the research and get all these different opinions and then put a story around all of that. I don’t like to be beholden to just one person.”
Mike Tyson quickly responded with an official statement claiming that Hulu never contacted him.
“[That] is a flat out lie. My life rights option expired years ago. Hulu nor any of their supercilious team ever tried to engage in any negotiations with this Black man.”
“They say this story is an exploration of a Black man. It’s more like an exploitation of a Black man.”
“Hulu thinks their tracks are covered by hiring Black sacrificial lambs to play the part as front men for their backdoor robbery is appalling. I will always remember this blatant disregard of my dignity.”
Mike Tyson has been supported online by several prominent boxers and mixed martial artists, calling for a boycott of Hulu and Mike. We’ll see how the streaming provider handles this controversy.
Mike will premiere on Hulu on August 25.
Hulu stole my story. They’re Goliath and I’m David. Heads will roll for this.
— Mike Tyson (@MikeTyson) August 6, 2022
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