The two-part HBO Sports documentary ?What's My Name--Muhammad Ali,? chronicling the extraordinary life of one of the 20th century's most iconic figures, debuts May 14 (8 P.M.. ET/PT) with both chapters airing back-to-back in a special television event.

The documentary will also be available on HBO GO, HBO NOW, HBO on Demand and partners' streaming platforms.
?What's My Name-Muhammad Ali? is the first feature-length HBO production from SpringHill Entertainment, with LeBron James and Maverick Carter serving as executive producers.

The doc is directed and executive produced by acclaimed feature-film director Antoine Fuqua ("Training Day," "Southpaw," "The Magnificent Seven," "The Equalizer" franchise).

Exploring Ali's challenges, confrontations, comebacks and triumphs through recordings of his own voice, it paints an intimate portrait of a man who was a beacon of hope for oppressed people around the world and, in his later years, was recognized as a global citizen and a symbol of humanity and understanding.

In addition to relying on Ali himself to guide viewers through his remarkable journey, ?What's My Name-Muhammad Ali? features archival footage, some of it previously unseen.
Chapter one looks back at the Louisville, Ky. native's childhood and early boxing career as Cassius Clay, including a gold medal win at the Olympics in Rome.

Turning pro, he becomes heavyweight champion at age 22 with a stunning win over Sonny Liston. After converting to Islam, he forges close ties with Malcolm X and Elijah Muhammad, and changes his name to Muhammad Ali.

Stripped of his heavyweight title for refusing induction into the military to fight in Vietnam, based on his religious beliefs and opposition to the war, Ali spends three years away from the sport in legal battles. He returns to the ring for an epic fight with Joe Frazier at New York's Madison Square Garden.

In chapter two, determined to avenge his loss to Joe Frazier, Ali builds a rustic training camp in Pennsylvania and goes on to battle a parade of elite fighters, including arch-nemesis Frazier, as well as Ken Norton, George Foreman and Larry Holmes.

Though he becomes the first three-time heavyweight champion of the world, the toll of so many historic ring encounters starts to show. "The Greatest" travels the globe as a goodwill ambassador, philanthropist and activist and is defined as much by his humanity as his exploits in the ring. Ali lights the flame at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, an unforgettable moment seen by billions of TV viewers worldwide.

The production team features executive producer Bill Gerber, a producer of the ?Best Picture? Oscar nominee "A Star Is Born," and executive producer Glen Zipper, creator and executive producer of the critically acclaimed docu-series "Dogs," a producer of the Oscar-winning documentary "Undefeated" and an executive producer of HBO's 2018 multi-part documentary "Elvis Presley: The Searcher."

The film is produced by Sean Stuart, whose HBO and CINEMAX credits include: "Eagle of Death Metal: Nos Amis" and "Mike Judge Presents: Tales From the Tour Bus."

Paul Wachter and Jamie Salter are executive producers and Kat Samick of Fuqua Films is co-executive producer.

"Muhammad Ali transcended sports in a way the world had never seen before," says LeBron James. "It's an honor to have the opportunity to tell his incredible and important story for the coming generations. He showed us all the courage and conviction it takes to stand up for what you believe in. He changed forever what we expect a champion to be, and I'm grateful that SpringHill gets to be a part of continuing his legacy."

"Muhammad Ali had a deep impact on me from an early age," observes Antoine Fuqua. "Being given the opportunity to tell his story, both inside and outside the ring, is a privilege and a dream come true."

Lonnie Ali, who was married to Muhammad Ali for the final 30 years of his life, adds, "We are at a time in American history when we look to a new generation of heroes like LeBron James to carry on Muhammad's legacy, not only by remembering Muhammad, as is done so eloquently in this documentary, but also through their own words and deeds. I'm grateful to LeBron, Maverick Carter, SpringHill Entertainment and HBO for advancing the ideals that Muhammad believed in and fought for throughout his life."

?What's My Name-Muhammad Ali? is produced with the cooperation of the Muhammad Ali family estate and Jamie Salter, founder, chairman and CEO of Authentic Brands Group, which has been active in preserving the Ali legacy and brand.

"As proud guardians of Muhammad Ali's legacy, we are dedicated to preserving and upholding his core principles, and HBO's production of ?What's My Name-Muhammad Ali? provides audiences around the world with an intimate connection to this global icon," says Salter.

Editor?s Note: Information used in this report provided by HBO.

OTHER TV NEWS--

NETFLIX ANNOUNCES FIRST ORIGINAL AFRICAN ANIMATED SERIES "MAMA K'S TEAM 4"

Netflix, the world's leading internet entertainment service, recently announced its first original African animated series, ?Mama K's Team 4,? produced by Cape Town-based Triggerfish Animation Studios and leading London-based kids' entertainment specialist CAKE.

?Mama K's Team 4? tells the story of four teen girls living in the neo-futuristic African city of Lusaka, Zambia who are recruited by a retired secret agent still committed to saving the world. The series joins Netflix's growing slate of original animated programming designed for kids and families everywhere, brought to 190 countries by artists from around the world.

?Mama K's Team 4? is created by Zambian writer Malenga Mulendema, who was one of eight winners in the Triggerfish Story Lab initiative in 2015, a pan-african talent search.

Designed by Cameroonian artist Malcolm Wope, it draws visual inspiration from retro-'90s R&B and hip hop girl groups.

To join the creative team on the series, Netflix is collaborating with Triggerfish Animation studio and CAKE to launch a continent-wide search for local female writing talent.

Malenga grew up watching cartoons on TV and found herself asking why no heroes looked like her and why they didn't live in a world that felt like her own. "In creating a superhero show set in Lusaka, I hope to introduce the world to four strong African girls who save the day in their own fun and crazy way. Most importantly, I want to illustrate that anyone from anywhere can be a superhero," commented Malenga.

"In addition to giving African writers a global platform on which to be heard, we are excited to present this powerful and entertaining new animated series that brings Malenga's incredible and unique vision to life on Netflix," said Melissa Cobb, vice president of original animation at Netflix. "Mama K's Team 4? has the potential to give a whole new generation of African children the opportunity to see themselves on-screen in the powerful, aspirational characters they look up to."

"After animating four multi-award-winning BBC Christmas specials set in England, including the Oscar-nominated Revolting Rhymes, Triggerfish is delighted to bring an African capital city to life on Netflix," added Vanessa Ann Sinden, Triggerfish's development producer. "Female writers from Africa who have had their work produced for either TV, film or theatre can find out more about the Writers Lab and how to apply from the careers page of our website at www.triggerfish.com."

CEO & Creative Director at CAKE, Tom van Waveren concluded, "We are delighted to be partnering with Triggerfish and Netflix on ?Mama K's Team 4,? a uniquely empowering, but most of all fun project, which brings a fresh perspective to a classic cartoon genre."

ABOUT NETFLIX--

Netflix is the world's leading internet entertainment service with 139 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, documentaries and feature films across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on any internet-connected screen. Members can play, pause and resume watching, all without commercials or commitments.

ABOUT TRIGGERFISH ANIMATION--

Triggerfish has produced two feature films, Adventures in Zambezia (2012) and Khumba (2013), which have been licensed to around 160 countries and translated into 25 languages.
Triggerfish has also provided animation for four multi-award-winning BBC Christmas adaptations produced by Magic Light Pictures: Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's Stick Man (2015), The Highway Rat (2017), and Zog (2018), as well as Roald Dahl's "Revolting Rhymes" (2016).

"Revolting Rhymes" was nominated for an Oscar and won over 15 international awards, including the International Emmy Awards Kids: Animation prize; the Cristal at Annecy; ?Best Animated Special? at the Annie Awards; ?Best One-Off Special? at Kidscreen; and ?Best Animation? at the BAFTA Children's Awards.
https://www.triggerfish.com/.

ABOUT CAKE--

CAKE is one of the world's leading independent entertainment companies specialising in the production, distribution, development, financing and brand development of kids' and family properties. CAKE works with renowned producers of animation and live-action content, including Rovio Entertainment Ltd, Channel X, Fresh TV and Animation Collective on the worldwide roll out of their brands.

In addition, CAKE partners with production companies such as Anima Estudios (Space Chickens in Space for Disney EMEA), Paper Owl (Pablo for CBeebies), TeamTO (Angelo Rules, Mighty Mike), Thursitar (Mush-Mush and the Mushables), Cheeky Little Media and Kickstart Productions co-producing exciting new entertainment properties and turning them into aspiring brands.

An award-winning company, CAKE was most recently voted Best International Distributor by Animation Magazine and No 2 Distributor in Kidscreen's 2018 Hot 50. CAKE is based in London and is headed up by Ed Galton and Tom van Waveren. http://www.cakeentertainment.com.

Editor's Note: Information for this article provided by Netflix.