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‘Fight Night’ Creator Shaye Ogbonna on His Real-Life Connections to the Heist: ‘It Came From a Personal Place for Me’


'Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist' creator Shaye Ogbonna on bringing the hit 1970s set series to the big screen with Kevin Hart and Don Cheadle.

A twist reveals that New Jersey gangster Richard “Cadillac Richie” Wheeler (Terrance Howard), who appeared to be a victim of the brazen robbery, was the mastermind behind the entire endeavor. Ogbonna’s star-studded and evocative series brings this little-known story from Black Atlanta lore to life, while immersing its audience in the specificity of the culture, texture and events that occurred some five decades ago. Recently, Ogbonna spoke with Variety about his personal connections to the heist, why Muhammad Ali is such a significant figure in the series and Debbie Allen’s iconic cameo.

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