Nicolas Cage’s New Sports Movie Role Is Awesome & I Can’t Wait To See His Transformation

Nicolas Cage’s upcoming sports movie Madden will require a major transformation into an NFL legend. Cage is set to star as John Madden, the legendary NFL broadcaster and Hall of Fame head coach whose name is best known as the best-selling football video game franchise of all time. Madden was an NFL hopeful during the late 1950s who played as an offensive lineman and was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles before his playing career was cut short by injuries​​​​​​.

Madden had a very impressive coaching career in the NFL that spanned 10 seasons, earning a winning percentage of 75.9% and a lifetime record of 103-32-7 (via Pro Football Hall of Fame). While he has been the face of the Madden football video game franchise for decades, he passed away at the age of 85 in December 2021. Cage, who is fresh off his unhinged performance in the celebrated horror film Longlegs, is not known for starring in sports movies but has a lot of momentum going into the Madden biopic.

Nicolas Cage Is Perfect Casting For John Madden

Both Cage and Madden have larger than life personalities

Cage hasn’t starred in too many sports movies or biopics, although he did star in a meta biopic about himself in 2022’s The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. Like other idiosyncratic actors such as Keanu Reeves and Jason Statham, it can be difficult to unsee Cage from his larger-than-life persona even when he’s immersed in a transformative role. However, because John Madden is also a larger-than-life personality, someone with a presence and enthusiasm like Cage is required to take on the role of John Madden.

Cage is a bonafide cinephile, so it will be interesting to see how he approaches his development process as he learns to portray Madden. Known for his devout dedication to his roles, it’s likely that Cage will do the required reading and video game playing to fully embrace the iconic aura of John Madden, which certainly will not be easy to pull off. There is also the matter of Madden’s notable stature, who stood 6′ 4″ tall and had an undeniably physical presence. Cage, who is 6 feet, may have to hit the weights for the role.

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Playing John Madden Will Require A Physical Transformation For Nicolas Cage

Cage also really has to nail the iconic Madden voice

Cage has recently demonstrated how far he is willing to go to create a deeper level of immersion in his characters, growing out beards in recent films such as Dream Scenario and Pig and completely transforming into the titular antagonist Longlegs in the recent horror film. Cage will certainly have to bulk up to play a convincing John Madden, which shouldn’t be much of an issue. However, nailing the iconic Madden voice that millions of people have known and loved for decades will be the most crucial component in Cage’s portrayal of the NFL legend.

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Madden

Madden is a biographical documentary drama that recounts the life and career of legendary coach and sports commentator John Madden. The film will explore his dream of becoming head coach for a major NFL team and its toll on him, leading him to seek a secondary career adjacent. The film will also retread his various endorsement opportunities and the eventual launch of the Madden NFL football video game franchise.

Director

David O’Russell

Studio(s)

Escape Artists

Distributor(s)

Prime Video , Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Writers

Cambron Clark

Main Genre

Biography

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