October // 2026

Cambridge, Hamilton, Woodstock and Cobourg built 1960s Louisville: Here's where The Greatest was filmed

The Greatest

The world remembers an icon. The Greatest is about a man. A husband, a father, a brother, a son – and one of the most compelling athlete the twentieth century produced. Amazon Prime Video’s first authorised scripted series about the life of Muhammad Ali filmed across Ontario from April 21 to July 22, 2025.

The Greatest is created and showrun by Ben Watkins (Cross), who also directs the first two episodes. Executive produced by Ali’s widow Lonnie Ali, Michael B. Jordan through his Outlier Society banner, Jay-Z through Roc Nation and Josh Wakely. The first season begins in 1960 when Cassius Clay wins the Olympic gold medal and runs through 1964 when he wins the heavyweight title for the first time.

Jaalen Best plays Cassius Clay/Muhammad Ali. Omari Hardwick plays his father. Dana Gourrier plays his mother. Kai Parham plays his brother Rudy. Amin Joseph plays Sonny Liston. Michael Ealy plays Malcolm X. Eight episodes. The aim: to show what wasn’t in the documentaries – the life between the fights.

Still The Greatest Credit Amazon MGM Studios Photo Brooke Palmer
Cobourg

Filming in Cobourg ran from April 21 to May 2. Preparation of storefronts and windows along King Street from Third to Hibernia took place from April 21 to 25. On April 28 and 29, production filmed at a private residence in the east end and began preparation inside the James Cockburn Room at Victoria Hall. On April 30, downtown Cobourg was transformed for a full day – 7am to 11pm – with filming inside and outside Victoria Hall’s James Cockburn Room and a parade scene along King Street. A community casting call invited local residents to participate as unpaid walk-on extras.

The production returned to Cobourg on Tuesday July 8, with cast and crew filming along the east beach area of Victoria Beach for most of the day. The unmanned Cobourg lifeguard towers number 3 and 4 were temporarily repainted for filming. Victoria Beach was dressed as Miami Beach – complete with palm trees. Additional filming took place along Wilmott Street and Normar Road.

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Cambridge

In early May 2025, a quiet street in Cambridge was transformed into a slice of mid-century Louisville, Kentucky. Filming took place on Lansdowne Road South in the west Galt area – with an assistant location manager on scene confirming the house at Lansdowne Road South served as a stand-in for Ali’s childhood home in Louisville. A green-and-yellow Louisville Transit Co. bus was parked on the street. Older vehicles with Kentucky licence plates lined the road. Houses on historic Lansdowne Road North were dressed with American flags. The production filmed over several days around town, including simultaneously at Shade’s Mills.

At the end of May, filming also took place at Galt Arena Gardens on 98 Shade Street in Cambridge – the second oldest operating ice hockey arena in the world, opened in January 1922 – with scenes filmed inside the locker rooms during the day and outside for night scenes.

Hamilton and Woodstock

In May, production crews filmed in Hamilton on Ottawa Street North, inside the Scottish Rite during the day and at Laidlaw Memorial United Church that night. Crew members were seen amid lighting cranes throughout the area.

In July, filming moved to the Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority building in Hamilton’s North End – the Art Deco building that has previously hosted The Shape of Water, Reacher and Mayor of Kingstown. Its period grandeur and institutional character provided formal civic environments the story required.

Production arrived on Dundas Street West in Woodstock on May 5, where storefronts were dressed to resemble mid-1960s businesses – including Wagner’s Butcher & Delicatessen and Derby’s – standing in for the Louisville, Kentucky of Ali’s hometown.

The Greatest premieres on Prime Video on November 4, 2026.

Screenshot The Greatest Credit Amazon MGM Studios

SOURCE

Today's Northumberland // Cambridge Today // Kawartha Now // Hamilton Spectator // Woodstock Sentinel // Wikipedia

CREDITS

© Amazon MGM Studios, Blue Monday Productions, Outlier Society // Photo Brooke Palmer

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