50 Cent Performs and the 'Fightland' Cast Takes Over New York for the Series Premiere

On Tuesday, Starz celebrated the series premiere of Fightland with a red carpet event at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City, and executive producer 50 Cent made sure the night was unforgettable both on and off the stage.

The full cast turned out, including stars Howard Charles, Nicholas Pinnock, Deborah Ayorinde, Anita-Joy Uwajeh, Charles Babalola, Tyler Conti, Tahirah Sharif, and Richard Pepple, as well as co-creator and executive producer Marlon Smith and director Sebastian Thiel.

For those who haven’t been following the series, Fightland is the kind of show that grabs you from the first scene and doesn’t let go. It centers on Duke Kilroy (Howard Charles), a British-born boxer who becomes world heavyweight champion, only to have the night of his greatest triumph shattered by a vicious assault that leaves his brother Calvin dead.

Duke’s reaction in the aftermath costs him eight years in a U.S. prison. When he gets out, he comes home with one thing on his mind: revenge against the man he believes set him up, criminal kingpin and former promoter Kingsley Marshall (Nicholas Pinnock).

The problem is Kingsley has disappeared, leaving behind his family and his wife Joy (Deborah Ayorinde), who also happens to be the love of Duke’s life, to hold everything together. Working alongside a cartel hungry to control London’s drug market, Duke begins infiltrating Kingsley’s empire from the inside, using everything that made him a champion in the ring to dismantle the world that destroyed his family.

The premiere episode sets the background for the series, introduces the characters, and has you eager for more.

“Fightland is our first wholly owned series, a business achievement that underscores our commitment to building long-term brand value, expanding our creative footprint, and delivering even more premium, franchise-driven IP to our audiences,” said Kathryn Busby, President of Original Programming.

She also made clear that when Starz set out to build its first owned series, there was only one person they wanted to call. “We turned to our long-term creative partner, Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson, and we asked him to bring us something with emotional stakes, cultural edge, and a completely new world to step into. He delivered exactly that.”

“I think when you get the chance to see these characters portrayed in this show, you’re gonna become extremely passionate about it. You’re gonna find somebody to love. You’re gonna find somebody to hate. But you have a really good time,” 50 Cent told the crowd. “I’m excited about this show.”

And then he took the stage.

Jackson performed a set of his iconic hits in the Rose Theatre at Jazz At Lincoln Center, including the Fightland theme song, before closing out with Hate It Or Love It. A Boogie, Rich the Kid, and Sleepy Hallow joined him on stage.

The night wasn’t over after the screening. The festivities continued at PH Live, where guests were treated to a surprise performance by Jackson, Uncle Murda, Tony Yayo, and Sleepy Hallow, who performed his hits like Many Men and 21 Questions.

The guest list included Erika Woods, Wendell Pierce, and London Brown from Power Book III: Raising Kanan, Power star La La Anthony, and Naturi Naughton-Lewis, who stars in the upcoming Starz series The Nowhere Man, executive produced by her husband Two Lewis. Additional guests included A$AP Rocky, Sherri Shepherd, New York Giants linebacker Abdul Carter, Brooklyn Nets guard Keon Ellis, Tristan Mack Wilds, DJ Envy, and more.

Fightland premieres Friday, July 31, with new episodes streaming weekly on Fridays on the Starz app and all Starz streaming and on-demand platforms.

Check out more images from the event below.