The late John Madden is truly one of the greatest legends in not just football, but sports history. He’s one of the most successful NFL head coaches ever. Madden never had a losing season and he won Super Bowl XI. He then went on to become one of the best, most beloved, and most important broadcasters ever. And the greatest football video game franchise ever bears his name. He’s a truly worthy subject for a biopic. As is the owner who hired him to lead his team, the Raiders’ Al Davis. And that’s exactly what Prime Video is giving us with MADDEN, a movie about two football icons starring two Oscar-winners, Nicolas Cage and Christian Bale, whom we see in the trailer below.
But while there’s no question why John Madden is worthy of his own movie, we are a little curious why this one looks like an extended SNL sketch.
Okay. Okay. Lot going on here. We’re not giving up on this without seeing it, though. And yet, it is not exactly a great sign Amazon felt the need to end this trailer by pointing out it is a “new movie.” Typically that’s what the trailer is for. At least the official synopsis indicates this is definitely a real film and not an elaborate joke. From Prime Video:
Inspired by the life of a beloved American icon, MADDEN chronicles John Madden’s incredible journey alongside best friend and true original Al Davis – from a Super Bowl-winning partnership with the Raiders, to becoming football’s most recognizable voice, to building the worldwide Madden NFL video game. MADDEN is the celebration of a brilliant mind whose once in a century spirit and personality, partnership with his daring wife Virginia, lifelong friendships, and infectious love of people and football transcended the world of sports.
Hey, that seems legit! Now to show you an official image from the movie…
….That’s great. Hey, this is a comedy, right? We….we can’t tell.
Despite the unavoidable silliness conveyed by this trailer, it does have a lot going for it. It comes from director David O. Russell. He wrote the script with Cambron Clark. And in addition to its big-name two stars it also features Kathryn Hahn, Sienna Miller, John Mulaney, and Shane Gillis.
MADDEN will debut in select theaters on November 11. It will then be available on Prime Video one week later on November 18. Will it prove worthy as iconic as the coach it’s about? Maybe, but maybe just not for the right reason.