Erwin Brothers To Release New Biopic On Superbowl MVP Kurt Warner
On December 10th of this year, the Erwin brothers (I Can Only Imagine, Woodlawn, Mom’s Night Out) will be releasing their new biopic, “American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story.” The film centers around the life of football quarterback Kurt Warner, depicting his humble beginnings as a supermarket stocker to his eventual, unorthodox rise into NFL stardom. It specifically touches on the many challenges and setbacks that should have derailed Warner’s dreams, as well as his perseverance and the support that came that came from his wife, family, and friends that eventually led to his triumph. The story seeks to demonstrate that anything is possible with faith, family and determination.
The film stars Zachary Levi (Shazam, Chuck) as Warner and Oscar-winning actress Anna Paquin (X-men, The Piano) as his wife. Supporting actors include Dennis Quaid, Virginia Madsen, and Chance Kelly. The film is being produced as a joint venture between the Erwin brothers’ Kingdom Story Company and Lionsgate Films, with Warner and his wife Brenda as co-producers. Kevin Downes (I Can Only Imagine, Woodlawn) and sports film producer Mark Ciardi (The Rookie, Miracle, Secretariat) are also helping to produce the film.
The script itself is written by David Aaron Cohen, Jon Gunn, and John Erwin. It’s based on their firsthand interviews with the football hall-of-famer as well as his memoir, All Things Possible: My Story of Faith, Football and the First Miracle Season.
American Underdog will be Levi’s second film working with directors Jon and Andrew Erwin. The trio recently worked together on a previous inspirational drama entitled, The Unbreakable Boy. Levi plays the father of an autistic boy named Austin with a rare, brittle bone disease. Despite these immense challenges, Austin’s humorous, joyful, and loving take on life transforms everyone around him, including Levi’s character. The film is slated for release on March 18, 2022.