First Look At Zachary Levi As NFL Hall Of Famer Kurt Warner In ‘American Underdog’

If you’re an NFL fan who has seen your team get lit up by the rocket arm of quarterback Kurt Warner, then you probably know his story. Going from supermarket clerk to Super Bowl MVP and Pro Football Hall of Famer, Warner’s remarkable journey is coming to the big screen in American Underdog, and we’re getting our first look at Zachary Levi in the starring role.

Levi is seen suited up in Kurt Warner’s St. Louis Rams uniform, along with Anna Paquin as Kurt’s wife Brenda, and Dennis Quaid as head coach Dick Vermeil. It was in 1999 as a member of the Rams under coach Vermeil that Warner, who had been a forgotten backup QB, was thrust into the starting role and led the team to a miraculous Super Bowl victory. He led one of the most high-powered offenses in NFL history, dubbed “The Greatest Show on Turf.”

Integral to Warner’s success was his faith, and the film will delve into that aspect of his life, as well. The Christian-themed sports drama is directed by Jon and Andrew Erwin, who have developed a number of hit faith-based films including 2018’s I Can Only Imagine.

I’ll never forget the way Warner shredded my Chicago Bears with five touchdowns in his final NFL season in 2009. Warner wasn’t a player I liked very much, because he was always such a tough out, but his story is definitely big-screen worthy. This one will be worth a look.

American Underdog opens on December 10th. Check out more photos and a first-look featurette below.

 

Travis Hopson
Travis Hopson has been reviewing movies before he even knew there was such a thing. Having grown up on a combination of bad '80s movies, pro wrestling, comic books, and hip-hop, Travis is uniquely positioned to geek out on just about everything under the sun. A vampire who walks during the day and refuses to sleep, Travis is the co-creator and lead writer for Punch Drunk Critics. He is also a contributor to Good Morning Washington, WBAL Morning News, and WETA Around Town. In the five minutes a day he's not working, Travis is also a voice actor, podcaster, and Twitch gamer. Travis is a voting member of the Critics Choice Association (CCA), Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA), and Late Night programmer for the Lakefront Film Festival.