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Nicolas Cage Set To Play NFL Legend John Madden In Big Budget Biopic? What We Know So Far
Nicolas Cage, is set to portray the iconic NFL coach and broadcaster, John Madden, in an upcoming biopic. The film is still in its early stages of development.
Nicolas Cage, the veteran actor is back and now he will portray one national treasure role. Cage is set to play John Madden, the late football coach and sports commentator, in Madden, a drama from Amazon MGM Studios which will be directed by David O. Russell, the filmmaker behind Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle.
“Nicolas Cage, one of our greatest and most original actors, will portray the best of the American spirit of originality, fun, and determination in which anything is possible as beloved national legend John Madden,” Russell said in a statement. “Together with the ferocious style, focus, and inspired individualism of Al Davis, owner of the underdog Oakland Raiders, the feature will be about the joy, humanity and genius that was John Madden in a wildly inventive, cool world of the 1970s.”
Although this would be his first sports film, Cage's broad resume is riddled with a ton of high-octane action movies, so it's easy to see why the directors would tap him for this role. There had been rumblings beforehand that Will Ferrell could be floated for a starring role, but aside from Cage's attachment, no other decisions have been nailed down for casting.
The introduction of the project was announced early on by Prime Sports Original, with the big-name star talents collaborating on the film. Leading this production is Todd Black, followed by Escape Artists Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch, and Jonathan Shukat. Contributing are Russell and Matthew Budman. With Escape Artists already set to prep a live-action adaptation of Amazon's Masters of the Universe, this sports biopic gets added to that roster of high-profile projects.
The film will be based on the life of John Madden, larger than life across American sports. Madden died in 2021 at the age of 85. He was the head coach of the Oakland Raiders throughout the 1970s. His teams went to multiple championship games and captured their first Super Bowl win. After retiring from coaching in 1979, Madden went on to become an equally recognizable television personality as a color commentator, succumbing to the role for over thirty years. His influence reached outside the screen when he gave the name and creative inputs for the very famous video game franchise, Madden NFL, which continued even after his retirement from broadcasting in 2009.
He is an Academy Award-winning actor and remains a bankable film star in Hollywood. The latest exploits to the reel resume include the near-$100 million box office smash Longlegs, A24's Dream Scenario, and the critically acclaimed drama Pig. With a string of intense, at-times indelible performances like these, Cage brings a certain je ne sais quoi that will lend to the portrayal of Madden.
This film will be helmed by Academy Award-nominated director David O. Russell, who directed American Hustle, Silver Linings Playbook, and The Fighter. It doesn't matter that the filmmaker's new film, Amsterdam, underperformed at the box office and only pulled in USD 31 million worldwide; Russell is a respected filmmaker. In addition to the Madden biopic, he has in development a Linda Ronstadt biopic starring Selena Gomez, along with a 1970s-set drama called Super Toys with Keke Palmer and Sacha Baron Cohen.
With Cage playing the title role and Russell behind the camera, this really unique and compelling narrative will come alive on screen, offering audiences a closer look at the life and legacy of John Madden. Having an accomplished actor and a well-praised director on board, this movie is sure to be one of the memorable works of both Cage and Russell.
ALSO READ: 'He Didn't Want To Improvise': Longlegs Director Opens Up About Nicolas Cage's Transformation
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