You’ll do a double-take seeing Nicolas Cage’s transformation into legendary Raiders coach John Madden and Christian Bale as team owner Al Davis in the new trailer for the Madden biopic.
Watch: Kris Jenner, Amy Schumer & More Celeb Transformations of 2025
By now we’re pretty used to Christian Bale undergoing a jaw-dropping physical transformation for a movie.
Or at least a cosmetic one, the English actor admitting that losing and gaining hundreds of pounds over the years has taken its toll.
But for the upcoming biopic Madden, in which Bale plays fiery Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis, he logged long hours in the makeup chair with Nicole Cage, who channeled the titular coaching and broadcasting legend John Madden.
The first official teaser that dropped on Christmas shows the extent of the actors’ transformations. Bales’ hairline is in full recessive mode for his turn as Davis, while Cage is toting extra weight to play the portly Madden, whose appetite for winning and affinity for football was only rivaled by his love of food and drink.
Christian Bale’s Drastic Movie Transformations
Eric Charbonneau/Roadside Attractions via Getty Images, Robin L Marshall/Getty Images
And rest assured, if the teaser is any indication, Cage has dug into the role with gusto.
The film, fittingly due out next Thanksgiving (in honor of the man who also did so much for the turducken), reteams Bale with American Hustle helmer David O. Russell, who also directed the actor’s Oscar-winning turn in The Fighter.
When announcing the project in 2023, Amazon MGM Studios stated that the film would focus on Madden’s “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.”
Madden, who coached the Raiders to a championship in 1977 before leaving the sidelines for his equally memorable chapter in the broadcasting booth, passed away in 2021 at the age of 85. Davis died in 2011 at 82. His son Mark Davis remains the controlling owner of the now Las Vegas-based Raiders, who last won the Super Bowl in 1984. Tom Brady owns a minority stake in the team.
Okay, so Christian Bale has done a lot of wild body transfor ..
Trailer Drops For Nicolas Cage’s Highly Anticipated Football Film ‘Madden’
Leena Nasir
Fri, December 26, 2025 at 10:26 PM GMT+7
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The first trailer for “Madden” dropped Christmas Day, offering an early look at Nicolas Cage’s transformation into NFL icon John Madden in director David O. Russell’s upcoming biopic.
Released by Amazon MGM Studios, the teaser shows a nearly unrecognizable Cage as the larger-than-life broadcaster and Super Bowl-winning coach, tracing Madden’s trise from modest beginnings to the sidelines of the Oakland Raiders. The clip also features Christian Bale as Raiders owner Al Davis, who stares into the camera and declares, “There’s only one John Madden — they didn’t make another one.” (RELATED: Netflix Thrills Fans With Teaser Clip For Highly Anticipated ‘Peaky Blinders’ Film)
Bale’s voice booms over the footage as Davis adds, “Football wouldn’t be football without him.”
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The film tracks Madden’s Super Bowl-winning run with the Raiders in 1976 before shifting to his second act as one of the sport’s most recognizable broadcasters, eventually charting his rise as a pop-culture fixture through the wildly successful “Madden NFL” video game franchise.
TORONTO, ONTARIO – SEPTEMBER 09: Nicolas Cage attends the “Dream Scenario” premiere during the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival at Royal Alexandra Theatre on September 09, 2023 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Robin L Marshall/Getty Images)
The ensemble cast includes Kathryn Hahn, Sienna Miller, John Mulaney and Shane Gillis.
“Madden” is slated for release over Thanksgiving weekend in 2026.
What happened to Maxx Crosby? Raiders shut down star edge rusher
Ayrton Ostly, USA TODAY
Updated Sat, December 27, 2025 at 8:47 AM GMT+7
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Week 17 of the NFL regular season features high-stakes matchups involving teams jockeying for playoff position. Saturday’s double-header alone features three teams in playoff position already (Houston, Green Bay and the Los Angeles Chargers) and one trying to win its division (Baltimore).
There’s another important matchup this week with implications on the other end of team success. The 2-13 New York Giants and 2-13 Las Vegas Raiders face off in a game that could determine who holds the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
And one of the best players from those teams won’t be suiting up.
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Raiders star edge rusher Maxx Crosby will not be playing for Las Vegas due to a nagging knee injury, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Crosby was upset about that decision and left the team building after learning he wouldn’t be playing against the Giants, per FOX’s Jay Glazer.
Crosby was asked earlier about the No. 1 pick in the draft being in play for this week’s game and was honest.
“I don’t give a (expletive) about the pick, I don’t play for that,” Crosby said. “That’s not my job. My job is to be the best defensive end in the world, and that’s what I focus on every day. And being a great leader and being an influence and being that guy on a consistent basis for my team.
“That’s their job, the front office, the coaches, they do that, but that’s got nothing to do with me. I’ve learned my lesson in the past, you can’t control everything and that’s not my job description. My job is to be the best in the world at what I do.”
Maxx Crosby exits Raiders building after being shut down for Week 17 against Giants
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Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby will sit for Sunday’s game against the New York Giants due to a knee injury.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, it’s the team’s decision to shut down the five-time Pro Bowler “with Crosby’s best interest in mind,” even as Crosby wants to be on the field.
Subsequent reports painted Crosby as unhappy with the situation. Jay Glazer of Fox Sports and Ryan McFadden of ESPN both report the pass-rusher left the building after being informed his season was over, with Glazer claiming Crosby “vehemently disagreed” with the decision.
Raiders head coach Pete Carroll later confirmed the story:
“He was talking about ‘I’d like to get outta here’ and I said, ‘Yeah, get outta here.’ So he took off … It was exactly like you would think he would do, and he should do. I agree with him a 1000 percent on how he responded. I responded the same way and I get it.”
While the Raiders may want to not risk further injury for Crosby, they are also chasing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. In facing a fellow 2-13 team in the Giants on Sunday, a defeat would improve their chances and not having their best defensive player would aid in that pursuit.
According to the NFL, this will be only the third time in NFL history that two teams that are 11-plus games under .500 will meet and the first time since 1991.
The 27-year-old Crosby was vocal earlier this week about caring more about helping the Raiders win rather than about a first overall draft pick.
“Yeah, I don’t give a s*** about the pick, to be honest,” Crosby said Tuesday. “I don’t play for that. That’s not my job. My job is to be the best defensive end in the world. That’s what I focus on every day. Being a great leader, being an influence. Being that guy on a consistent basis for my team.”
Crosby has been in the NFL since 2019 and has played 110 regular-season games with the Raiders, but only one playoff game. The Raiders have only two playoff appearances — and zero playoff wins — since appearing in Super Bowl XXXVII at the end of the 2002 season.
Crosby won’t be the only Raiders star who will miss out this weekend. Tight end Brock Bowers was placed on injured reserve Wednesday with a knee injury that limited him to 12 games this season.
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Bowers, the Raiders 2024 first-round draft pick, was an All-Pro last season and has made two Pro Bowls in his first two NFL seasons. After recording 112 catches for 1,194 yards and five touchdowns in 2024, the injury affected his output this season as he’ll finish with 680 receiving yards, with 64 receptions and seven touchdowns.
