Actor Will Ferrell has shown his versatility by portraying an elf, a NASCAR driver, a TV anchorman, a cop, a pro basketball player, and even Sherlock Holmes.
Now, he may get the opportunity to play legendary NFL coach John Madden.
Deadline.com reported Friday that director David O. Russell is in talks with Ferrell to portray the former Oakland Raiders coach in the film Madden, which focuses on the coach’s life after coaching and his role in developing the popular Madden NFL video game.
Will Ferrell is in talks to star as John Madden in David O. Russell’s ‘MADDEN’, a film about the origins of the Madden video game.
(Source: Deadline) pic.twitter.com/XBZNhiTWhn
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) May 26, 2023
According to the report, “The project has been percolating for some time,” and “Russell had been doing a rewrite when everything stopped with the writer’s strike.”
Still, finding the right lead actor is a critical step. Just imagine Ferrell handing out Madden’s trademark Turkey Leg Award after a Thanksgiving game, or drawing Xs and Os on the screen with his signature “boom, boom, boom.”
NFL fans seemed to like the idea of the popular actor going full Madden.
“Twitter, I think it’s safe to say that all these fans came on the internet to watch a game of FOOTBALL!” pic.twitter.com/zwRyWSJuou
— Paradigm City (@ParadigmCityy) May 26, 2023
🤯
— Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) May 26, 2023
Will ferrel is in every type of movie
— Polina (@SweetyPolinaXO) May 26, 2023
Boom.
— Chad Poe (@ChadPoe) May 26, 2023
I love Will Ferrell, but as Madden?!? Although John C Reilly was phenomenal as Jerry Buss so we’ll see https://t.co/fHoAwUtAqD
— Kenny King Jr (@KennyKing_Jr) May 26, 2023
Had me at Will Ferrell and Madden, lost me at David O. Russell.
— Jesse Vinterlik (@JesseVinterlik) May 26, 2023
