Nicolas Cage To Play John Madden In David O. Russell’s Biopic

Nicolas Cage has been cast as John Madden in a biopic directed by David O. Russell. View the casting details below.

Nicolas Cage To Play John Madden In Biopic

Per The Hollywood Reporter, Cage will star as Madden, the Hall of Fame football coach and sports broadcaster. Russell will direct the Madden biopic off a script he wrote, based on an earlier draft by Cambron Clark.

In May 2023, reports surfaced that Will Ferrell was in talks to play Madden, with Russell directing. Hugh Jackman was circling the project, too, but the Deadpool & Wolverine star stepped back months ago.

Ultimately, Cage won the coveted role of the iconic commentator.

“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,” said Russell 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.”

What To Expect In The John Madden Biopic?

In 1969, Madden became the head coach of the Oakland Raiders. In 10 seasons, Madden accumulated a record of 103-32-7, making the playoffs eight times.

In 1976, the Raiders went 13-1, capped off with a win over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl XI.

After coaching, Madden transitioned to the broadcast booth, where he became the NFL’s defining voice for the next 30 years.

Russell’s biopic will not solely focus on Madden’s life on the field. Instead, it will tackle Madden’s business ventures off the field, including Madden NFL, the landmark football video game. The film will cover Madden’s journey with Electronic Arts in the 1980s to create one of the most recognizable video game franchises of all time.

The Madden biopic’s producers include Russell, Matthew Budman, Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch, and Jonathan Shukat.

The biopic hails from Amazon MGM Studios.