John Madden’s life and legacy feel like something out of one of the best sports movies. He went from leading the Oakland Raiders to a Super Bowl victory to being the voice of NFL broadcasts on multiple networks to becoming the face of one of the most successful video game franchises of all time. And now, the NFL legend and broadcasting great, who passed away in December 2021, is getting the sports biopic treatment with Madden.
That’s right, the man who taught generations of fans about Xs and Os on the gridiron (both real-world and simulation), is getting a biographical drama at some point soon with some major talent on both sides of the camera. Though the Madden movie release date has not been revealed, we know quite a bit about the project so far.
What Is The Madden Release Date?
As much as we’d love to see Madden take up a spot on the 2024 movie schedule, it’s not going to be in the cards for the upcoming sports biopic as Amazon MGM Studios hasn't yet announced a release date.
Though there’s been no word on the Madden movie release date, it would be fitting for it to hit the big screen during Thanksgiving weekend next year, considering John Madden spent so many Thanksgivings calling games and welcoming the NFL to his table for football and in-depth analysis like only he could provide.
The Madden Cast
Though there’s a case to be made for Frank Caliendo playing Madden in the upcoming biopic after years of giving what is probably the best impersonation in sports TV history, the Madden cast is going to be led by an Academy Award-winning actor who’s made a career out of giving over-the-top performances. And, that man is none other than Nicolas Cage, according to Deadline.
One of the many upcoming Nicolas Cage movies, Madden will see the star of classics like Leaving Las Vegas and more modern gems like Longlegs take on one of his most interesting roles in quite some time, which is saying something.
We still don’t know who’ll be filling out the cast alongside Cage, but surely the movie will feature portrayals of the late Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis or some of Madden’s broadcasting partners like Pat Summerall, Vin Scully, Al Michaels, and numerous other icons of the sports world.
What Is Madden About?
When we first heard about a John Madden biopic, we assumed it was going to be a sports flick chronicling the life, career, and legacy of the Pro Football Hall of Famer. While that is true, the movie will also have a lot in common with some of the upcoming video game movies. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Madden won’t just be about the titular football icon’s rise to fame as the coach of the Oakland Raiders, but Instead, it will also follow the coached-turned-broadcaster as he becomes the face of the Madden NFL video game franchise, one of the most popular video game properties of all time.
Details are being kept close to the vest – or close to the playbook in this case – regarding the specifics of the Madden plot at this point in time, but it sounds like this could be a spiritual successor to Amazon MGM Studios' Air, the 2023 sports biopic about the creation and launch of the legendary Air Jordan basketball shoe brand and how it became a turning point for athletic wear in the 1980s.
David O. Russell Is Writing And Directing Madden, His Third Sports Movie
As reported by Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter in the aforementioned articles, David O. Russell wrote and will be directing Madden for Amazon MGM Studios, though a production start date has not yet been announced by either outlet. Once completed, this will be the director’s third movie that’s either about a prominent sports figure or has sports as a major part of its plot.
In 2010, Russell directed The Fighter, one of the best boxing movies of all time, which followed Lowell, Massachusetts boxer Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) as tried to make a name for himself in the ring while also dealing with his combative and deranged family. Christian Bale and Melissa Leo won Academy Awards for their portrayals of Dicky Eklund and Alice Eklund-Ward, respectively.
Two years later, Russell helmed Silver linings Playbook, a romantic dramedy about two broken people (played by Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence) trying to find meaning in life by entering a dance competition. The movie, which focuses heavily on sports fandom, especially surrounding the Philadelphia Eagles, earned Lawrence an Oscar for Best Actress.
Madden Has Been In The Works Since 2023, But The Focus (And Main Actor) Has Changed Since Then
If Madden sounds a tad bit familiar, there’s a good chance you’re thinking about David O. Russell’s previous attempt to tell the football legend’s story. Back in May 2023, prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike, Deadline reported that the filmmaker was planning to make a movie about John Madden as his followup to 2022’s star-studded box-office bomb, Amsterdam. However, the focus (and main star) of that earlier version has since changed.
At the time, Saturday Night Live alum Will Ferrell was attached to play Madden in a movie that would have followed Oakland Raiders coach as he made the transition to broadcasting following a successful career on the sidelines. The Madden NFL video game aspect was seemingly a part of that story, but just not as much as the current incarnation.
The project eventually fell by the wayside before being resumed more than a year later when it was announced that Nicolas Cage would be taking on the lead role.
This Is Just One Of David O. Russell’s In-The-Works Projects
Russell, like many filmmakers in today’s Hollywood, has numerous projects in the works outside of this biopic.
In February 2023, IndieWire reported that he was working on a film called Super Toys starring Keke Palmer and Sacha Baron Cohen as married couple and toy sales reps in the 1970s. The movie is set to follow the couple as they attempt to save their careers, their marriage, and themselves on a life or death road trip.
Russell is also slated to direct the upcoming music biopic about the life and career of Linda Ronstadt with Selena Gomez taking on the role of the “You’re No Good” singer, according to Deadline. There are also reports, like one from World of Reel, stating that Russell is also reportedly working on a Get Smart reboot with John Mulaney, but there’s been no confirmation as of the time of this writing.
Expect to hear much more about Madden in the weeks and months to come. But in the meantime, it’s never a bad idea to check out our 2025 movie schedule so you can start penciling in dates for all the releases hitting the big screen next year.
