First Trailer for Madden Movie Reveals Nicolas Cage and Christian Bale

Nicolas Cage stars in a new biopic about John Madden, the football coach and commentator who became the face of one of the biggest video game series ever. Prime Video released the first trailer for the film, which shows a fully transformed Cage in the title role.

The movie covers each major stage of Madden’s life. It explores his coaching career, his time as a commentator, and his involvement in the video game series. Madden is widely considered one of the greatest NFL coaches of all time. He holds the highest winning percentage among NFL head coaches with at least 100 games, recording 112 wins, 39 losses, and seven ties for a 73.1% win percentage. He coached the Oakland Raiders from 1969 to 1978, leading the team to its first Super Bowl win in January 1977. He retired in 1979 due to health issues and burnout.

Madden joined CBS as a color commentator for NFL telecasts shortly after leaving coaching. He achieved similar success in the broadcast booth and won 16 Sports Emmy Awards. He was known for breaking down football in an easy-to-digest way, helping expand the sport’s audience and appeal. He often went off on tangents during broadcasts, such as when he discovered a hot dog conspiracy during a 1995 Seahawks preseason game.

Madden is perhaps best known for EA’s video game series. He lent his name, likeness, and football knowledge to the project, earning a credited designer role on John Madden Football when it was released in 1988.

Who is working on Madden?

Alongside Nicolas Cage, the film stars Christian Bale as Al Davis, Kathryn Hahn as John’s wife Virginia, and John Mulaney as Trip Hawkins. David O. Russell directed the movie. Russell previously directed Silver Linings Playbook, Three Kings, and American Hustle. While he has earned nominations for Academy Awards, Golden Globes, and BAFTAs, Russell has also faced criticism regarding alleged verbal abuse on set. Several members of the Madden cast reportedly walked off during filming over Russell’s use of the n-word. The film also features comedian Shane Gillis, who was previously dismissed from Saturday Night Live over the use of ethnic slurs.

Amazon releases the film on Prime Video on Nov. 18, 2026.

Source: Polygon