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50 Cent-Backed 'Fightland' Brings Boxing Revenge Drama to Starz

Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson's high-profile backing raises expectations for Starz's push into gritty, action-led British crime drama.

Overview

  • The eight-episode series will debut on Starz on Friday, July 31, with two unaired episodes remaining from the six shown to critics before the premiere.
  • Fightland follows Maduka “Duke” Kilroy, a former world heavyweight champion who returns to London after eight years in a U.S. prison to seek revenge against the promoter he believes betrayed him.
  • Howard Charles leads the cast alongside Nicholas Pinnock as the promoter-kingpin and Deborah Ayorinde in a central role, with reviewers praising Charles's performance and the show's violent, well-staged action sequences.
  • Advance reviews of six episodes are generally positive while noting weaker character intimacy and development in places, and Starz has released trailers and a sneak peek as part of a final promotional push.
  • Jackson is actively promoting the show and has compared the first episode favorably to his Power franchise which, combined with Fightland's sports-crime premise, could broaden Starz's slate and 50 Cent's international TV profile.