Will Ferrell to Star as John Madden in Movie Based on Legend’s Life, Video Game | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

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A staple on NFL and college football sidelines as a fan, Will Ferrell will now take his football acumen to the big screen as he’s set to star as legendary coach John Madden in a biopic based on the Hall of Famer, according to Matt Grobar of Deadline.

The film, titled Madden, will be produced by Amazon and MGM studios and directed by five-time Academy Award nominee David O’Russell.

Madden will be a Prime Video Sports Original and is the latest addition to the ever-growing genre of sports biopic films. It will try to follow in the steps of recent successes such as Air, King Richard, 42, Moneyball and Rush.

Ferrell, a long-time Seattle Seahawks and USC football fan mostly known for his comedic roles, will have some enormous shoes to fill as he tries to embody the spirit of Madden, a legendary coach and broadcaster.

Over a relatively short head coaching career with the Oakland Raiders that lasted from 1969-1978, Madden was very successful, winning the organization’s first Super Bowl title in 1976 and leading it to seven AFL/AFC Championship games.

Shortly after retiring, Madden entered the broadcast booth for nearly 30 years where he became an even bigger legend, winning 16 Emmy Awards.

He also became the namesake of the Madden NFL video game, which is the best-selling football video game franchise of all time.

Madden passed away at the age of 85 in Dec. 2021 due to undisclosed circumstances.

“Nobody loved football more than Coach,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said at the time. “He was football. He was an incredible sounding board to me and so many others. There will never be another John Madden, and we will forever be indebted to him for all he did to make football and the NFL what it is today.”