Zachary Levi to portray Kurt Warner in movie based on NFL legend's life
The faith-based biopic will tell Warner’s unique path to pro football stardom
Actor Zachary Levi will portray NFL legend Kurt Warner in the upcoming biopic tracking his rise from grocery store employee to Super Bowl champion, according to multiple reports Wednesday.
Levi, best known for his leading roles in “Shazam!” and “Chuck,” will star in “American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story.” Production is expected to begin later this year ahead of a planned December 2021 release.
"Kurt’s story is one of relentless faith – in his own abilities but even more so in a higher power,” Levi said in a statement to Entertainment Weekly. "When I read Kurt’s story, I identified with the quiet strength he found to persevere – that’s something I think anybody can recognize in their own lives. This is the kind of underdog story that sports movies are all about, and the fact that it’s true makes it even more special. I’m thrilled to be part of bringing his story to audiences."
Described as a faith-based biopic, the film will track Warner’s unique path to pro football stardom. An undrafted rookie, Warner had a brief stint with the Green Bay Packers in 1994, but was released without playing in an NFL game.
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After a period stocking shelves at a Hy-Vee grocery story in Cedar Falls, Iowa, Warner signed on with the Iowa Barnstormers of the now-defunct Arena Football League. He starred in the AFL and eventually caught the eye of the NFL’s St. Louis Rams.
Warner signed with the Rams in 1998 and initially served as a backup. An injury thrust Warner into the starting lineup in 1999 and he became an immediate star, leading a Rams offense that became known as “the Greatest Show on Turf.”
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In 12 seasons with the Rams, New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals, Warner won one Super Bowl in three appearances and two NFL Most Valuable Player awards. He twice led all NFL quarterbacks in touchdown passes.
Warner was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.