‘Madden’ Teaser: Nicolas Cage Plays John Madden in the Origin Story of Madden NFL

Prime Video’s ‘Madden’ teaser spotlights the game that changed sports gaming.

The main focus of the first teaser for Madden lands exactly where fans will feel it most: the birth of the Madden NFL video game. Nicolas Cage, starring as the late NFL legend John Madden, leads this Prime Video original. The film traces how a coach and broadcaster transformed into the face of the most influential football game ever made. The cast for David O. Russell’s film also includes Christian Bale, Kathryn Hahn, Sienna Miller, John Mulaney, and Shane Gillis.

How a Football Voice Became a Video Game Blueprint

Transitioning from the gridiron to his next chapter, the film tracks Madden’s journey from humble beginnings to coaching the Raiders to the Super Bowl after the 1976 season. However, the story’s engine is what happens after football.

As Madden rockets to television stardom, he unexpectedly becomes the electrifying centerpiece of a video game revolution. The movie bursts onto the scene as the thrilling origin story of Madden NFL, spotlighting the passion, pivotal decisions, and dynamic relationships that transformed a coach’s football genius into an interactive phenomenon.

That matters because John Madden was more than a name slapped on a box. Starting as an NFL player, he shifted into coaching and then became one of the sport’s most recognizable analysts. His gift for explaining the game simply built trust. That credibility laid the groundwork for a video game promising authenticity.

Trip Hawkins Enters the Story

This transition in Madden’s life brings another key player into focus: John Mulaney portrays Electronic Arts founder Trip Hawkins, signaling how central EA is to the film’s rise-from-idea-to-empire arc. The game’s origin story is about more than football. It’s about technology, branding, and building a product that could teach strategy while still feeling fun.

All these elements come together to make this a sports movie with a business and pop-culture backbone.

David O. Russell Writes and Directs

Russell wrote and directed Madden. His past credits include The Fighter, American Hustle, and Silver Linings Playbook. Cambron Clark wrote an earlier version of the script. That impressive track record hints that the film will explode with dramatic character clashes and big personalities—perfect for a story built around Madden’s larger-than-life legend and the electrifying high-stakes race to get the game right.

The Rest of the Cast

Kathryn Hahn plays Virginia Madden. Sienna Miller plays Carol Davis. Shane Gillis appears in an unspecified role. With Cage leading and a cast fusing dramatic power with razor-sharp comedy, Madden crackles with energy, turning the creation of a video game into a relentless, fourth-quarter showdown.A video  game feels as intense as a fourth-quarter drive.

Watch the Teaser

Prime Video’s Madden is set to release on Thanksgiving 2026. This on-the-nose, smart landing spot suits a film about football tradition and a game that became part of holiday gatherings. If Madden nails the balance, it could play like a crowd-pleasing sports biopic while speaking directly to gamers who grew up calling plays with a controller.

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