Amazon has finally put the first full trailer out for Madden, the John Madden biopic starring Nicolas Cage, and the film looks ready to cover a lot more ground than the video game legacy most fans know first.
The Amazon MGM sports movie follows Madden’s path from the sideline to the broadcast booth, with the story also digging into his landmark partnership with EA Sports. That collaboration produced the football video game that became a fixture in millions of homes, after Electronic Arts founder Trip Hawkins first approached Madden in 1984 about building an authentic football simulation. Madden initially turned it down unless the developers agreed to realistic eleven-on-eleven gameplay, and the first John Madden Football game eventually arrived for computer systems in 1988.
Cage plays Madden with the help of complex prosthetics, makeup, and a heavy bodysuit to match the coach’s unmistakable presence. Christian Bale appears as Al Davis, the outspoken Oakland Raiders owner, and the cast also includes Kathryn Hahn, John Mulaney, and Shane Gillis.
The trailer frames the film as a tribute to friendship, family partnership, and a deep love of football. It also reaches back to Madden’s life and career beyond the game, including his run as head coach of the Oakland Raiders. From 1969 to 1978, Madden went 103-32-7 in the regular season and 9-7 in the postseason, and he never had a losing season as a head coach.
Madden died unexpectedly at his home in Pleasanton, California, on December 28, 2021, at 85. The official cause of death was never publicly disclosed by the league or his family.
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