Kathryn Hahn, John Mulaney and Sienna Miller join ‘Madden’

Preview:

• Kathryn Hahn, John Mulaney and Sienna Miller are the latest recruits for ‘Madden.’
• David O. Russell wrote the script and will direct.
• Nicolas Cage is playing the football icon.

We learned in August last year that Nicolas Cage would be making an unusual move for him, and stepping up to play NFL coaching (and TV/video game) legend John Madden for a new movie from ‘American Hustle’s David O. Russell.

And, as seems typical with Russell’s projects, he’s now gathered a starry ensemble to support Cage in the film.

Per Deadline, Kathryn Hahn, John Mulaney and Sienna Miller are the latest additions to the movie.

And the site’s story confirms word from reporter Jeff Sneider that Christian Bale, a perennial Russell performer, is also aboard the movie.

Related Article: Nicolas Cage Playing Football and Broadcasting Icon John Madden in ‘Madden’

What’s the story of ‘Madden’?

With a script by Russell (based on earlier work from Cambron Clark), the exact details of what ‘Madden’ will cover remain a little indistinct at the moment.

But there is certainly a lot to choose from. Madden was a star player in high school, and was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1958, only for injury to curtail his rookie season.

Instead, he went on to earn a degree in teaching and put his skills/experience to good use as a coach, going on to lead the Oakland Raiders to the Super Bowl and a win in 1977.

Madden became known as one of the best coaches in the sport’s history, but his all-consuming passion and commitment wore on him, and he retired for health reasons.

Still, a hugely successful second chapter dawned as courted by the fledgling gaming company Electronic Arts to be the front man for its Madden NFL multi-player video game. Madden had never played a video game, but it turned into an outlet where he could lend his knowledge and help the masses better understand the gridiron.

The game has long been a sensation –– even with its inspiration dying in 2021, it continues to this day as a favorite of players and fans.

And beyond even that, Madden also became famous as a beloved commentator on the game he loved so much, his enthusiasm pouring from the screen, and his habit of scribbling on the screen making him a firm favorite among viewers.

Who are the new recruits playing?

Bale is playing late Raiders owner Al Davis, while Mulaney has the role of Trip Hawkins, who founded EA Sports and was a driving force in behind the Madden NFL video games.

Hahn will be Madden’s wife, Virginia; and Miller is on board to be Davis’ wife, Carol.

With the casting process in full swing, Russell is preparing to start shooting next month in Atlanta.

‘Madden’: David O. Russell talks Nicolas Cage

Here’s what Russell said about the casting news in a statement:

“Nicolas Cage, one of our greatest and most original actors, will portray the best of the American spirit of originality, fun, and determination in which anything is possible as beloved national legend John Madden. Together with the ferocious style, focus, and inspired individualism of Al Davis, owner of the underdog Oakland Raiders, the feature will be about the joy, humanity and genius that was John Madden in a wildly inventive, cool world of the 1970s.”

Russell himself is something of a controversial figure, his successful directing career also marked by criticisms of his attitude to women and other groups. He’s also been known for his mercurial behavior on set, infamously clashing with George Clooney on ‘Three Kings’ and Lily Tomlin on ‘I Heart Huckabees’.