We need someone to explain this to us. Nicolas Cage, who just played a serial killer in Longlegs, is going in a completely different direction for his next role. Cage will be playing a really beloved icon of football and the NFL, John Madden. Boom!
Cage is set to star in “Madden,” the next film from director David O. Russell, which is being produced at Amazon MGM Studios, IndieWire has confirmed. He will portray Madden during his tenure as coach of the Oakland Raiders in the 1970s, all based on an original screenplay by Russell. More specific plot details have yet to be revealed. It’s also unclear how deeply the film will delve into his life story, whether it will cover his career as a broadcaster or his role in the hugely popular video game franchise that continues to this day, even past his death in 2021. In fact, “Madden 25” hits theaters tomorrow.
Additional cast members will be announced shortly.
“Nicolas Cage, one of our greatest and most original actors, will portray beloved national legend John Madden, representing the best of the American spirit of originality, fun and determination where anything is possible. Combined with the wild style, determination and inspired individualism of Al Davis, owner of the underdog Oakland Raiders, the film will be about the joy, humanity and genius that John Madden represented in a wildly inventive, cool world of the 1970s,” Russell said in a statement.
Todd Black is producing the film, as are Escape Artists’ Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch and Jonathan Shukat, as well as David O. Russell and Matthew Budman. Escape Artists’ David Bloomfield will executive produce. An original screenplay by Russell follows an earlier draft by Cambron Clark.
Cage is working with Amazon on another interesting project, a live-action version of the Spider-Noir character he created in animated form in the Spider-Verse films. He will also appear in The Surfer, the psychological thriller that premiered at Cannes this year, and will appear in the next Spider-Verse film.
For Russell, this is his first film as a director since 2022’s “Amsterdam.” He is also preparing an untitled biopic about the late music icon Linda Ronstadt, which will star Selena Gomez.
Deadline first reported the news.
