Warner’s ‘American Underdog’ life finally hitting big screen
It’s often been said that Kurt Warner’s story is among the best in the history of stories, so the idea of making a movie about it is an obvious one.
Actually turning the idea into a film, well, that has been the tricky part.
For years, producers, writers and others in the film industry have talked to Warner and his wife Brenda about the possibility. Usually, the Warners and movie people had different ideas about what the film should look like and the message it might convey.
That’s changed.
On Wednesday, it was announced via several outlets that “American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story” would be coming to the screen in time for Christmas
this year.
Jon Erwin and Andrew Erwin‘s Kingdom Story Company will direct, and David Aaron Cohen, whose writing credits include the movie “Friday Night Lights,” will be one of the main writers.
Kingdom Story Company specializes in the production of Christian films.
As co-producers, the Warners are involved in many aspects, including the screenplay. That’s being developed now, and Kurt is encouraged by what’s taking shape.
“Finally, we feel like we’re in a position with the studio and the writers where they get it,” he said. “They have a good idea of where we want to go and what our thoughts are.”
If all proceeds on schedule, Lionsgate will distribute the movie around Christmas, a fitting time for an inspirational story.
There are challenges. To me, the most difficult one would be narrowing the scope of the story to fit into a twohour movie.
Do you start it when Kurt met Brenda, a single mother of two at the time? When he was cut by the Packers? Playing with the Iowa Barnstormers of the Arena League? In 1998, when he finally made an NFL roster?
Where do you end it? With him replacing the injured Trent Green and then directing the Rams to the Super Bowl?
Or do you track the second resurrection of his career, when he was cut by the Giants, came to Arizona and led the Cardinals to the franchise’s only Super Bowl appearance?
How much of the story do you devote to the Warners’ busy lives outside of football? To their seven kids, including Zachary, who suffered a traumatic brain injury as a baby that blinded him and resulted in developmental disabilities.
Or does it end with Warner being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017?
Cohen and the other writers have a lot to work with, which means they are going to have to leave something out.
“I almost feel like often times like the second act can be just as powerful as the first act,” Warner said. “Beyond football, how much depth can you get? Because Brenda has her own unique story. It has a been a big part of the process, trying to figure that out. It’s still something we’re working through, how that’s going to look.”
We’ve been reading about Warner since 1999, when he took over for Green and helped form one of the greatest offenses in NFL history: The Greatest Show on Turf. That also complicates the attempt to tell his story, because so many of us feel like we already know it so well.
“I don’t think anybody really knows ‘the story,’ he said. “And the depth of the story. And Brenda’s part in the story. And how coming together completed us in a lot of ways.
“That, to me, is the other cool part. I feel like you’ve got to give the audience a level of what they expect, but also give them a depth that they never knew, or understood. That’s what excites me about where we are in the process right now.”
So, who will play the Warners? That hasn’t been determined but it’s fun to speculate. The movie has been fasttracked for release, which presents challenges in many areas, including casting.
But as Warner noted, “in that world, a deadline always helps.”
Warner doesn’t have an idea yet of who will play him. When it comes to popular actors “I don’t know anything about anything,” he said. “My wife watches a lot more shows so she threw out some names of people.”
Some people have suggested that it’s a movie meant for a big star, Warner said. He’s not sure.
Maybe it should be an unknown actor, he said, just waiting for someone to give him a chance.