Everything We Know So Far About the NFL Coach’s Biopic

Madden, the biopic of the late John Madden, has kicked off production.

The legendary story of the football icon and video game trailblazer is being told in an upcoming movie, directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker David O. Russell (Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle). Although the NFL season is still a few months away, fans have already gotten a sneak peek at how the late coach’s life will be told on the big screen.

Madden’s career started when he was drafted as a player by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1958, before a knee injury sidelined him. In 1969, he became the head coach for the Oakland Raiders, leading them to their first Super Bowl victory seven years later. In 1979, Madden retired from coaching and went on to become a beloved color commentator until 2009.

The former pro athlete was also the face and voice of one of the biggest video game franchises of all time, Madden NFL. Sadly, Madden died at the age of 85 on Dec. 28, 2021.

“Nobody loved football more than Coach. He was football. He was an incredible sounding board to me and so many others,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement at the time. “There will never be another John Madden, and we will forever be indebted to him for all he did to make football and the NFL what it is today.”

Now that Madden production has started, and a first-look image has been released, here’s everything to know about the football biopic, including who’s playing the legendary coach.

What will the Madden movie be about?

According to a plot synopsis from Amazon MGM Studios, the movie will follow Madden “from his Super Bowl-winning partnership with fellow coach Al Davis and the Raiders, to creating Madden NFL, and becoming one of the most iconic voices in football history.”

The first Madden video game was released by Electronic Arts in 1988, and the popular franchise continues to this day.

In November 2024, Amazon Prime released a four-part docuseries, It’s in the Game: Madden NFL, about the making of the classic game. The latest installment, Madden NFL 26, will be available on Aug. 14, 2025.

In addition to directing Madden, Russell is also producing and writing the feature. A previous version of the script was written by Cambron Clark, per Deadline.

When is the Madden movie release date?

There is no premiere date for the Madden movie yet.

The Atlanta-Journal Constitution reported that the project is currently filming in Atlanta and will continue until July.

Is there a trailer for the Madden movie?

As of right now, a trailer for the Madden movie hasn’t been shared, but Amazon MGM Studios revealed a first look.

A photo features Nicolas Cage as Madden and Christian Bale as Davis. Both are dressed in complete ’70s fashion while standing on a football field, with Cage’s character donning a Raiders jacket.

Notably, they show off their Super Bowl rings for the camera.

Who is playing John Madden in the Madden movie?

Cage was cast as Madden in August 2024.

“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 obtained by PEOPLE.

“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 director continued.

Who else is in the Madden movie cast?

Aside from Cage, the football film will also feature some other big names, like Bale as Al Davis, the eventual owner of the Oakland Raiders.

Additional cast members include Kathryn Hahn as Madden’s wife, Virginia, and John Mulaney as Electronic Arts founder Trip Hawkins. Meanwhile, Sienna Miller will play Davis’ wife, Carol.