Madden Movie (2026): Release Date, Cast & Where to Watch

Madden, Amazon MGM Studios’ movie about NFL coach and broadcaster John Madden, opens in select theaters on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, and streams worldwide on Prime Video from Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2026. Nicolas Cage plays Madden, Christian Bale plays Raiders owner Al Davis, and David O. Russell directed it from his own script, which reworked an earlier version by Cambron Clark. Everything below is current as of Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, 13:05 UTC (8:05 a.m. ET).

To be clear about which Madden this is: it is a feature film. It is not one of EA Sports’ Madden NFL video games, though the game is part of the story, and it is not It’s in the Game: Madden NFL, the docuseries Prime Video released in November 2024.

When does the Madden movie come out?

Madden opens in select theaters on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, and arrives on Prime Video one week later, on Wednesday, Nov. 18. Deadline, Variety and TheWrap all report the limited theatrical run starting Nov. 11. Amazon’s own announcement gives only the Nov. 18 streaming date.

The first column below is the date and the second is where the film becomes available.

There is one conflict to know about. Rotten Tomatoes’ listing gives the theatrical date as Nov. 18, marked “Limited.” Deadline, Variety and TheWrap all say Nov. 11, so that is the date we use here.

Amazon has not announced what time of day Madden goes live on Prime Video on Nov. 18.

Where can you watch Madden?

Prime Video is the main way to watch Madden: it streams there globally from Nov. 18, included with an Amazon Prime membership. Amazon’s page lists Prime at $14.99 a month or $139 a year in the United States as of Nov. 7. Prices are different in other countries.

The theatrical run is small:

• It is a limited release. Variety reported in August that the film was expected to get an awards-qualifying theatrical run and would not play on the big screen nationwide.
• No theater list has been published. The trades say only “select theaters,” and no source we found names the cinemas, the cities or even the countries.
• Streaming is the worldwide option. The official word from Amazon is that Madden streams globally on Prime Video from Nov. 18.

If you want to see it on a big screen, check your local theater’s listings closer to Nov. 11. For most viewers, Prime Video on Nov. 18 will be the way to watch it.

Who is in the cast of Madden?

Nicolas Cage stars as John Madden and Christian Bale plays Al Davis, the Raiders owner and Madden’s close friend. Amazon’s announcement names the main cast, and each role below also appears in Deadline’s coverage or on the Rotten Tomatoes listing.

The first column is the actor and the second is the person they play.

A few notes on the cast:

• Virginia Madden was John Madden’s wife. Amazon’s synopsis mentions his partnership with Virginia.
• Carol Davis was Al Davis’ wife.
• Trip Hawkins founded Electronic Arts, the company behind the Madden NFL games. Amazon calls him “EA Sports founder.”
• Shane Gillis also stars. Amazon’s cast list does not give his role, and the official materials we read don’t name his character.

The film reunites Russell with Bale. They worked together on The Fighter, American Hustle and Amsterdam, Russell’s last film before this one.

What is the Madden movie about?

Madden follows John Madden’s life alongside his best friend Al Davis, from their Super Bowl-winning partnership with the Raiders, to Madden becoming football’s best-known voice, to his work building the Madden NFL video game. That summary comes from the official synopsis, which describes the film as “inspired by the life” of Madden.

The synopsis also mentions his partnership with his wife Virginia, his lifelong friendships and his love of people and football.

For context, here is the real John Madden’s career in brief:

• He was head coach of the Raiders from 1969 to 1978 and won Super Bowl XI (played in January 1977, for the 1976 season).
• After coaching he became a broadcaster, working for all four major networks over three decades, as Amazon’s background notes put it.
• In 1988 he partnered with EA Sports on what became the Madden NFL video game series.

Madden died in December 2021, aged 85. Rotten Tomatoes lists the film’s genres as biography, comedy, drama and sports, so expect some comedy, not just a straight sports drama.

Who made Madden?

David O. Russell directed Madden and wrote the script, following an earlier version by Cambron Clark. Russell’s earlier films include The Fighter, Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle.

The production credits as Amazon and Deadline report them:

• Producers: Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch of Escape Artists, plus Jonathan Shukat, Russell and Matthew Budman. Deadline also lists Colin Wilson.
• Executive producers: David Bloomfield of Escape Artists. Deadline also names Constance Schwartz-Morini and Michael Strahan.
• Companies: Rotten Tomatoes lists Amazon MGM Studios, Escape Artists, ShowKat, Dreamcrew Entertainment and Corazon Camera. Amazon MGM Studios is the distributor.

How long is Madden, and what is it rated?

Rotten Tomatoes’ listing gives Madden a runtime of 1 hour 50 minutes and an R rating. Amazon’s announcement does not state either one, and we did not find the rating’s official reason, so treat the runtime and rating as the listing’s details, not a studio statement.

Is there a trailer for Madden?

Yes, there are two: a teaser and an official trailer. Prime Video showed the teaser during its Christmas Day 2025 broadcast of the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs game. The full official trailer came out on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026.

Has Madden premiered, and are there reviews yet?

Madden had its world premiere in Los Angeles on the evening of Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026, but as of Nov. 7 Rotten Tomatoes listed no critics’ reviews. When we checked the listing at about 13:05 UTC on Nov. 7, it showed zero critics’ reviews and zero verified audience ratings.

Deadline’s premiere photos show Cage, Bale, Hahn, Miller, Mulaney, Gillis and Russell on the red carpet. Michael Strahan, Marshawn Lynch, Julian Edelman and John Madden’s family were also there.

No review embargo date has been announced, so this page gives no verdict on the film.

If you’re keeping track of other big screen releases this fall, our Street Fighter cast guide covers another big 2026 release with a video-game link, adapted from Capcom’s fighting games.