Filmmaker David O. Russell (“Silver Linings Playbook,” “American Hustle”), a five-time Academy Award nominee, typically crafts dramatic comedies about scrappy survivors, dysfunctional families, personal reinvention, and those who struggle to find their place in the world. Which makes “Madden,” his latest film, feel like something of a left-turn oddity — at least on paper.
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But there was only one John Madden, and the Amazon MGM’s first teaser for the film and its whole vibe leans into that simple fact: his wasn’t just a sports story, it was the origin of a modern American myth. Nicolas Cage plays the Hall of Fame coach-turned-broadcaster, while Christian Bale embodies Raiders owner Al Davis, setting up a combustible pairing at the heart of the film’s version of football history.
Inspired by a true story, “Madden” follows the legend’s path from Super Bowl glory with the Raiders to becoming a voice of the sport — and, eventually, the unlikely co-sign behind “Madden NFL,” the video game series that turned a sideline genius into a household name for generations who learned the game through a controller.
The supporting roster suggested this aimed to cover the whole cultural machine, not just the trophy case. John Mulaney plays Trip Hawkins, with Kathryn Hahn as Virginia Madden and Sienna Miller as Carol Davis, plus Shane Gillis and Joel Murray as broadcaster Pat Summerall.
Russell co-wrote the script with Cambron Clark, and the behind-the-camera team looks equally stacked, with Robert Richardson serving as director of photography and Alan Baumgarten handling editing. The film was set up at Amazon MGM Studios and is slated for a Thanksgiving-week release: November 26, 2026. Watch the first teaser trailer below.
- Rodrigo Perez
- Rodrigo Perez
- Rodrigo Perez
- Rodrigo Perez
- Rodrigo Perez
- Rodrigo Perez
- Rodrigo Perez
- Rodrigo Perez
- Rodrigo Perez
