*Production on “Madden,” the upcoming biopic about NFL icon John Madden, has encountered early setbacks. A supporting actor walked off the set last week, citing concerns over the alleged use of the N-word during a rehearsal, an allegation Amazon MGM Studios disputes.
As TMZ reports, the film from director David O. Russell, starring Nicolas Cage as Madden and Christian Bale as Raiders owner Al Davis, began shooting in Atlanta earlier this month. However, just two weeks into production, a cast member quit, reportedly upset by both the use of the racial slur and a scene involving full frontal nudity.
Sources on set claim that during an impromptu monologue session, Russell allegedly used the slur, prompting the unnamed actor and others to leave before lunch and ending production early for the day. Studio insiders, however, claim the word was never spoken during filming and assert it was the actor who suggested its inclusion in a private creative discussion with Russell. The word was ultimately cut from the scene.
Insiders report that an actor’s objection to nudity in a locker-room scene sparked tension with the director, who reportedly reacted unprofessionally. Although the actor has stepped away, studio sources indicate a potential return remains possible.
The film aims to explore Madden’s journey from Raiders coach to iconic broadcaster and the face of the Madden NFL video game franchise. A first-look image shows Cage and Bale in vintage ’70s attire on a football field.
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Per the synopsis from Amazon MGM Studios, the movie will follow Madden “from his Super Bowl-winning partnership with fellow coach Al Davis and the Raiders, to creating Madden NFL, and becoming one of the most iconic voices in football history.”
“Nobody loved football more than Coach. He was football. He was an incredible sounding board to me and so many others,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a previosuly statement. “There will never be another John Madden, and we will forever be indebted to him for all he did to make football and the NFL what it is today.”
The movie has no release date yet, but is slated to film through July.
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