While Tom Brady won’t be heading to the NFL on Fox announcing booth until at least 2024 (and there are still questions about that), it looks like he’ll have another NFL project out before then. Brady’s 199 Pictures company was part of the team behind feature film 80 For Brady, and they’ve now teamed with Religion of Sports (where Brady is a co-founder, alongside Gotham Chopra and Michael Strahan), Todd Lieberman’s Hidden Pictures, and Lit Entertainment Group for a John Madden biopic limited series. That series, titled All Madden, is in collaboration with Madden’s family, Sandy Montag, and The Montag Group, and it’s directed by Gavin O’Connor (The Way Back, Warrior, Miracle) and written by Alex Sohn (Vegas), with Brady and Chopra amongst the executive producers. Here’s more on it from a release:
“If Dad was still around, and he was looking for a few guys to huddle up and tell his story, he’d be thrilled to have Tom Brady leading the huddle,” said Mike Madden.
Oscar and Emmy-winning producer Todd Lieberman (The Fighter, The Proposal, Wonder, Rescue Rangers) of Hidden Pictures will executive produce alongside Lit Entertainment Group’s Adam Kolbrenner (Free Guy, Prisoners). Multi- Emmy Award-winner Gotham Chopra (Muse, Greatness Code, Tom vs. Time, Man in the Arena), Ryan Stowell (Our Friend, American Woman, Thoroughbreds, Manchester by the Sea) and Emmy Award-winner Tom Brady will executive produce the series on behalf of 199 Productions and Religion of Sports.
Alex Young, President of Hidden Pictures, David Glickman, Kendrick Tan, and Sean Sansiveri will co-produce. Henry Cheatham will oversee the project for Religion of Sports.
“I grew up admiring John Madden, first as a coach, then as a commentator. I loved John’s passion for the game, especially his insatiable appetite for educating audiences about football. He welcomed fans with that warm smile, infectious laugh, and exceptional knowledge of the game, making everyone feel as if John were watching the broadcast right next to them on their living room sofa,” said Tom Brady. “On behalf of 199 Productions, I’m honored to collaborate with Virginia and Mike Madden, along with my co-founder at Religion of Sports, Gotham Chopra, 199 Productions, and the rest of the creative team, in telling the iconic story of a family man who revolutionized not only the game but the culture of football.”
“No one’s had a more profound impact on the culture of a sport than John Madden”, said Gavin O’Connor. “He had three acts in his NFL life: Hall of Fame coach, legendary broadcaster, and video game empire-builder. As far as I’m concerned, he’s the most important figure in NFL history. I’m excited for the opportunity to create a limited series that captures the breadth of his life.”
There are no details on the number of episodes yet, or when this will be ready or where it will air. But it will certainly be one to keep an eye on, especially given the numbers of big names attached. There’s still a lot of interest in Madden’s life and legacy, and while that’s been explored in some projects before (including A Football Life, NFL Icons, and a Fox documentary also called All Madden), this seems like a new take on it.
It’s also interesting to see Brady involved in another film project as a producer. He may be retired from the NFL and not ready for the booth yet, but he seems to be keeping busy.
[Photo of Madden as a coach from the Associated Press, supplied by Religion of Sports]