A release date for American Underdog has been set. Lionsgate announced at CinemaCon on Thursday that the Kurt Warner biopic will be released on Christmas Day. American Underdog stars Zachary Levi as Warner, the legendary NFL quarterback who went from a grocery store clerk to Super Bowl champion and two-time NFL MVP. The film also stars Anna Paquin as Warner’s wife Brenda and Dennis Quaid as legendary coach Dick Vermeil.
“This movie perfectly aligns with the emotions of the holiday season: The power of faith. A drive to bring out the best in all of us. The strength of family. And of course, the height of the NFL championship season,” Joe Drake, chair of Lionsgate’s Motion Picture Group, said per The Hollywood Reporter. “When you take all of that together, the perfect release date for this movie is Christmas day, and that’s where we have decided to date it.”
American Underdog has been pushed back a few times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It had a December 18, 2020 release date after the film was announced in February of that year. It was then pushed rescheduled for a December 10, 2021 release date before being pushed back again to Dec. 25.
When the film was announced, Warner said: “I am extremely excited to be working with Lionsgate and the Erwin Bros. to bring this story to life on the big screen, in hopes of encouraging all who see it to never stop believing in themselves and what God can do with them!” Levi spoke about playing Warner in July and revealed the one thing that stood out with the former St. Louis Rams quarterback.
“What surprised me most about playing Kurt was when I was learning more about his story, I realized that his story is less about football and more about family, love, faith and perseverance,” Levi told PEOPLE. “That is the heart of this film. It’s kind of like: come for the football and stay for the family. I love that.”
Warner originally signed with the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 1994. He was cut by the team before the start of the regular season and spent time in NFL Europe and the Arena Football League before making his way back to the NFL in 1998 with the Rams. He became the starting quarterback in 1999 after Trent Green with down with an injury, and his career took off. Along with winning a Super Bowl, Warner played in two additional Super Bowls and was named to the Pro Bowl four times.