Amazon MGM's upcoming movie on the life of NFL legend John Madden will also cover the creation of the best-selling series of Madden video games.
Directed by David O. Russell—who is a somewhat troubling figure in Hollywood these days—the movie stars Nicolas Cage as John Madden, the American professional football coach and sports commentator who lent his name to Electronic Arts' long-running and million-selling Madden NFL game series (initially known as John Madden Football).
Christian Bale will star as Al Davis, owner of the Oakland Raiders, where Madden served as head coach between 1969 and 1978. Madden's 103-game win record with the Raiders still stands to this day.
The movie will feature stand-up comic and Saturday Night Live writer John Mulaney as Trip Hawkins, the founder of Electronic Arts, who teamed up with Madden to create what has become one of the most famous sporting brands in interactive entertainment. As of 2018, the Madden NFL series had combined sales of over 130 million units.
"The film follows Madden’s remarkable journey—from his Super Bowl-winning partnership with Al Davis and the Raiders, to creating Madden NFL, and becoming one of the most iconic voices in football history," says Amazon MGM Studios. Kathryn Hahn will star as Virginia Madden, while Sienna Miller is Carol Davis. Principle photography began in April of this year.
Development began on the movie back in 2023, with Will Farrell attached to play Madden. When he dropped out, Hugh Jackman was rumoured to be taking the title role, with Tom Hanks reportedly interested in taking on the role of Al Davies.
Madden died at his home in California, on December 28th, 2021, at the age of 85.