Release destination revealed for 'Madden,' Nicolas Cage’s football biopic
Nicolas Cage is set to suit up for Madden’s legendary story beyond the field, and it’s not the kind of role you’d expect from him.
Amazon MGM Studios is giving Madden a quick pit stop in theaters — an awards-qualifying run — before it heads to streaming one week later. The studio’s plan means the Nicolas Cage football biopic won’t get a wide national rollout, just a brief big-screen window ahead of its streaming bow.
Madden starts streaming on Prime Video November 18.
Release plan
According to TheWrap, the limited theatrical run begins November 11. Amazon MGM Studios has not explained why there won’t be a wide theatrical release, though the company’s press materials confirm the movie will platform briefly in theaters before its Prime Video debut a week later.
Observers have noted filmmaker David O. Russell’s last movie, Amsterdam (2022), struggled at the box office, but the studio hasn’t tied this strategy to any specific reason. What’s clear is the rollout is designed around streaming, with the theatrical stop positioned to qualify for year-end awards.
What the movie covers
Nicolas Cage plays John Madden, with Russell directing a story that skips the usual cradle-to-grave approach. Instead, the film zeroes in on Madden’s unlikely partnership with Electronic Arts and the push to create a football video game that grew into a cultural powerhouse.
It’s a sports drama that aims at the intersection of NFL lore and gaming history — the moment a coach and broadcaster helped launch a franchise that generations of fans know by name.
Per TheWrap, the film’s limited theatrical run starts November 11, followed by its Prime Video release on November 18.