 While this film was in development through the 90s,  Oliver Stone (I) (qv) at one point was commissioned at the  projects director. Stones very first choice for the role of  Muhammad Ali (qv) was Denzel Washington (qv). However, when  Washington signed on to another boxer biopic,  _Hurricane, The (1999)_ (qv), Stone opted to instead make  _Any Given Sunday (1999)_ (qv).