The untold story of the Rumble in the Jungle.
It's 1974. Muhammad Ali is 32 and thought by many to be past his prime. George Foreman is ten years younger and the heavyweight champion of the world. Promoter Don King wants to make a name for himself and offers both fighters five million dollars apiece to fight one another, and when they accept, King has only to come up with the money. He finds a willing backer in Mobutu Sese Suko, the dictator of Zaire, and the "Rumble in the Jungle" is set, including a musical festival featuring some of America's top black performers, like James Brown and B.B. King.
When We Were Kings (1996) is a documentary film directed by Leon Gast, released on October 25, 1996 with a runtime of 1h 29m. It stars Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Don King and James Brown. Viewers rate it 7.6 out of 10 across 260 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for When We Were Kings before you stream it.
Muhammad Ali
as Self
George Foreman
as Self
Don King
as Self
James Brown
as Self
B.B. King
as Self
Spike Lee
as Self
Mobutu Sese Seko
as Self
Norman Mailer
as Self
George Plimpton
as Self
Malick Bowens
as Self
Lloyd Price
as Self
Miriam Makeba
as Self
Directed by Leon Gast, written by Leon Gast, produced by Leon Gast and Taylor Hackford.
Average viewer score of 7.6/10 from 260 ratings.
Roger Ebert February 27, 1997 The heavyweight title fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in Zaire on Oct. 30, 1974--”The Rumble in the Jungle”--is enshrined as one of the great sports events of the century. It was also a cultural and political happening. Into the capital of Kinshasa flew planeloads of performers for an “African Woodstock,” TV crews, Howard Cosell at the head of an international contingent…
Reviewed on August 28, 2013
2022
1998
2017
2012
2010
2019
2021
2020
2024
2019
2016
2020
2024
2021
2012
2025
2006
2025
2018
2020
1966
2024
2024
1954
2007
2024
2025
2012
2017
2000
2024
2024
1988
2019
2022
2016
2024
1971
1984
2014
When We Were Kings (1996) is available to stream on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel and HBO Max, and to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube and Fandango At Home. Streaming availability is checked against JustWatch data and can change by region.
The main cast of When We Were Kings (1996) includes Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Don King, James Brown and B.B. King. The film was directed by Leon Gast. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
When We Were Kings was released on October 25, 1996 and runs for 1h 29m.
When We Were Kings (1996) holds an average rating of 7.6 out of 10 from 260 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy documentary films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official When We Were Kings trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
