David O. Russell’s ‘Madden’ Biopic Is Out Next Week — Does Anybody Know or Care?

Once upon a time, a new David O. Russell movie would be a must-see cinematic event. The writer/director earned three consecutive Best Picture Oscar nominations with “The Fighter,” “Silver Linings Playbook,” and “American Hustle,” all of which scored at the box office and are roundly regarded as generational classics of their era and even holiday fare. But did you know Russell has a new movie opening next week from Amazon MGM Studios? That would be “Madden,” his biopic starring a physically distended and hair-pieced Nicolas Cage as the iconic NFL commentator. When I told an IndieWire colleague about this story, they had heard of “Madden” the movie, yes, but had no idea that Russell directed it. Doesn’t bode well. The film co-stars Russell perennial collaborator Christian Bale, strapped back into the hair and makeup chair for another grotesque transformation, as Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis, receding bleach-blond hairline and all, plus a wigged-out Kathryn Hahn as Madden’s wife Virginia, and poor Sienna Miller as Davis’s wife Carol. Reports have claimed the sports biopic carries a $75 million budget, making it one of the “Spanking the Monkey” director’s most expensive movies next to the critically flayed COVID release “Amsterdam,” which, not adjusted for inflation, cost a reported $80 million and earned a paltry $14 million domestically. That’s a movie that entirely vaporized from the cultural imagination — though you may recall a much-memed excerpt of a blink-and-you’ll-miss-her Taylor Swift being thrown under a car to her doom. The “Madden” release strategy does not inspire confidence, either, suggesting a classic case of bag-and-tag on the part of Amazon MGM Studios: a day-and-date release on Prime Video globally with a perfunctory, subterranean-level theatrical bow, both on Wednesday, November 18. The critics’ screening takes place Monday, November 16, with the embargo lifting about 15 hours later. Muted marketing only further intimates Amazon wants to take the latest Russell joint gently into that good night — but why? Is it that bad? The trailer has more than 8.6 million views and counting, though that’s largely explained by the prolific fanbase behind Madden, who died in 2021, and the NFL. Less so by any fanbase of Russell’s. To be fair, the studio has its hands full trying to position “Project Hail Mary” in the Oscar race and back into voters’ consciousness after opening theatrically six months ago. Amazon MGM’s social media heist movie “How to Rob a Bank” opens in theaters this Friday, while another awards hopeful, “I Play Rocky,” is in limited release. While “Project Hail Mary” was a box office juggernaut for the company, the tech giant has yet to master juggling multiple tentpole-scale projects theatrically at once — though they’ve had a banner year with considerable successes “Verity” and “The Sheep Detectives” spread out throughout 2026. Co-scripted by Russell and Cambron Clark, “Madden” centers on Madden’s Super Bowl-winning partnership with Al Davis and the Raiders that led to the “NFL Madden” games. The film wrapped production well over a year ago, in late spring 2025 in Atlanta. A TMZ report from May 21 claimed several actors walked off set after Russell allegedly used a racial epithet during a scene. A reputation for volatility has followed Russell across projects, from the widely seen behind-the-scenes footage of the filmmaker chewing out his “I Heart Huckabees” star Lily Tomlin, to Amy Adams’ confessional interviews in which she revealed the filmmaker made her cry throughout the “American Hustle” shoot. George Clooney has called Russell “a miserable fuck” and swore never to work with him again after his experience making “Three Kings.” The five-time Oscar nominee has built a career on quirky, sprawling ensembles and pushing actors toward extreme physical performances, like Christian Bale, who went gaunt (again) to win an Academy Award for “The Fighter,” then put on the pounds for “American Hustle.” Back in October, Russell and producer Todd Black appeared at the Virginia Film Festival in Charlottesville to present four clips from “Madden” — which showcased Cage in prosthetic padding that’s more January Jones in “Mad Men” Season 5 than Kazu Hiro Oscar-level effort, plus an exasperatingly accented Bale with bleached eyebrows, and the women, including Hahn and Miller, in insane wigs. Clearly, this is Russell operating at an 11, with characters, based on these clips, squawking over each other like the most strident ensemble scenes out of “Silver Linings.” During the panel, Russell described the casting process as “trippy,” noting that Cage gained weight for the role along with the prosthetics. “We were scared because we weren’t telling a documentary, but we were honoring John Madden and honoring Al Davis,” Black said. “We were trying to make it an entertaining story without making it a documentary. So some stuff was inspired by, some stuff was true, and a lot of stuff we made up, not wildly, but just for entertainment value.” The producer added, “I think when you see the movie, you’ll see it really is an incredibly positive film that when you watch it at Thanksgiving time, I think you’ll watch it with your family, hopefully, and you’ll walk out feeling really happy about it and telling people it’s such an inspiring film.” He might be onto something. With three NFL games scheduled for Thanksgiving — including the Kansas City Chiefs at the Buffalo Bills on NBC and Peacock — “Madden” could prove apt counter-programming to sports spectacle. That’s if enough people know where to watch it, or that it’s available at all.