50 Cent reveals reason why "UK version of Power" series with Idris Elba was paused for Fightland

When 50 Cent took to his Instagram a couple of years ago to announce that he was working on a brand new TV series with Idris Elba, the internet was set alight with excitement and speculation.

Whilst the rapper, also known as Curtis Jackson, teased that the collaboration would be "some heat" and "your TV will never be the same", there have never been any further confirmations as to what the series would be.

Well, it not only turns out that Jackson and Elba were working on a UK version of Jackson's hit Power series, but development on that has been paused to focus on upcoming show, Fightland.

Chatting exclusively to Radio Times about how Fightland came to be, Jackson revealed: "I was already thinking of how to create a version of Power, a UK version. I was talking to Idris [Elba] about it and we were in development for that. But when I got the concept for Fightland, I was like ‘I gotta do it’ but we just got to find the right person."

He went on: "Then we started searching and searching when I found Howard [Charles], I was like ‘I got it’ because you need a star. You need a star to drive the project. When you got that, once I had someone who could carry the project who is a strong actor – I watch the dailies, the man is not dropping a line. It’s a different thing, the discipline is there and you see it."

As for whether that series with Elba will ever come to fruition or if it'll never come to pass, we'll just have to wait and see. But for now, Jackson's focus is on Fightland, which is his first internationally produced show under G-Unit Film & Television.

The new series sees Top Boy star Howard Charles take on the leading role as former heavyweight boxing champion Duke, whose reaction in the aftermath of his brother's murder leaves him serving eight years in a US prison. Upon his release, he's intent on finding the man who he believes set him up, his former promoter Kingsley Marshall (Nicholas Pinnock).

"But Kingsley has vanished, leaving his children and wife, Joy (Deborah Ayorinde), who happens to be the love of Duke’s life, to pick up the pieces," the synopsis reads.

With previous notable roles in the likes of Top Boy but also The Three Musketeers and Whitstable Pearl, Charles is no stranger to a TV series but his new leading role in Fightland is a turn for the books – and one he had to dig deep for.

Speaking about his role, Charles described it as "just pure intensity". He explained: "I’m a pretty intense guy myself so it kind of suits me. I think the real heavy lifting came emotionally, every character asks something different of you, every character demands something of you.

"Duke made it very clear from the off that I had to go further, much further, into the deepest and darkest parts of the human heart. It’s a challenge that I wanted to meet straight away."

He added: "I really felt for the guy, I felt his pain come off the page. I don’t know what that says about me but I wanted to jump in and take a deep dive. But it’s a very rich world, rich characters. When you’ve got power behind him like this, everything about it is a yes and it all makes sense.”

Fightland is available to watch on Sky TV and NOW. You can sign up to NOW from £3.99 a month.

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