Sartaj Singh
Nicolas Cage is gearing up to embody the football legend John Madden in the City of Angels! The filming of David O. Russell’s biographical drama ‘Madden’ will start in Los Angeles, California, in December 2024. Russell wrote the feature based on an earlier script by Cambron Clark. The Amazon MGM Studios film has Russell, Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch, Jonathan Shukat, and Matthew Budman attached as producers.
The movie revolves around John Madden, who channeled his love for football to become one of the most successful coaches and commentators before being immortalized by Electronic Arts in the video game series ‘Madden NFL.’ Despite being unable to play football because of injuries in college, Madden nevertheless pursued a career in the game, gravitating to coaching. As the head coach of the Oakland Raiders in the NFL, he had a stellar 103-32-7 record with a 75.9% win percentage.
After retiring from coaching in 1978, Madden found his new home in the broadcast booth, providing color commentary in a lighthearted manner with comical input. His voice was so iconic and synonymous with the game that Electronic Arts approached him to be the figurehead for their NFL video game.
The larger-than-life personality of Madden will be brought to the silver screen by Cage, whose trademark versatility will be tested in the biopic. His recent performance as a deeply unsettling satanic killer in ‘Longlegs’ showcased his incredible acting range once again. The prolific actor has lately embodied vastly different characters, such as Matt in ‘The Retirement Plan,’ Rob in ‘Pig,’ and Paul Matthews in ‘Dream Scenario.’ He is expected to continue impressing audiences with his upcoming projects, including ‘The Gunslingers,’ ‘The Prince,’ and Amazon MGM’s ‘Spider-Noir.’
While Cage may appear very different from John Madden, his presence as a performer, along with a physical transformation, will likely help him step into the role flawlessly. Interestingly, it was previously rumored that Will Ferrell would play Madden. “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 director 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,” the filmmaker added.
Los Angeles is a bustling hub of filmmaking that has recreated various eras and backdrops for biographical sports movies and shows. These include ‘Ford v Ferrari,’ ‘The Boys in the Boat,’ ‘Moneyball,’ ‘The Fighter,’ and ‘Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.’
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