Well, we can assume those talks didn’t work out. Back in early summer 2023, it was reported that Will Ferrell was in talks to play legendary former football coach turned beloved NFL sports commentator John Madden, as directed by Academy Award-nominated filmmaker David O. Russell (“American Hustle,” “Silver Linings Playbook”). But according to new reports from various trade outlets, the role has gone to Nicolas Cage (“Raising Arizona,” “The Rock”) instead.
Madden served as the head coach of the Oakland Raiders from 1969 to 1978, leading them to many playoffs and division titles and the team’s first Super Bowl title at Super Bowl XI. Madden still holds the highest winning percentage among NFL head coaches who coached at least 100 games. He then transitioned to sports color commentator from 1979 to 2009 and won over a dozen Sports Emmy Awards. Madden is also known for the immensely popular “Madden NFL” series of video games, and once quipped for all his achievements, he’s still best known by modern-day audiences for a video game.
A drama from Amazon MGM Studios, Russell’s film won’t be a traditional biopic. While Russell took on the boxing genre in “The Fighter,” THR reports that the movie will be, in part, the origin story of “Madden NFL,” one of the biggest video game franchises ever.
Russell wrote the script, revising an earlier version by Cambron Clark. Hugh Jackman was apparently one of the actors who also circled the role last year.
While Cage hasn’t starred in a prestige drama in years, tending to work in genre, action B-movies or quirkier films he won the Best Actor Oscar in 1996 for “Leaving Las Vegas,” and was nominated once more for 2002’s “Adaptation,” by filmmaker Spike Jonze.
According to Russell, the movie will also be about his 1970s NFL coaching days.
“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.”
Those who think Cage looks nothing like Madden, well, think about how far make-up has come these days—look at Gary Oldman playing Winston Churchill in “Darkest Hour” or Stellan Skarsgård in the “Dune” movies. While it was somewhat overlooked, we encourage people to watch 2023’s “Dream Scenario,” where Cage put in a transformative, nuanced, and Oscar-worthy performance as a meek and timid professor—almost unrecognizable in his typical manic personality.