Zachary Levi will be a Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback at the end of the year. On Wednesday, a featurette video and photos of the new biopic American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story were released, and Levi will play the title character. The video shows Levi as Warner, who had a very interesting journey to becoming an NFL legend. The film will be released on December 10.
“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.”
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Destiny belongs to the underdogs.
Here’s a first look at our movie @AmericanUnderdg by @Lionsgate Films in theaters this December! #AmericanUnderdog pic.twitter.com/Dz1frvdY03
— Kurt Warner (@kurt13warner) July 7, 2021
Levi was happy to land the role of Warner, as he was always a big fan. Growing up, I was a Kurt Warner fan,” Levi said. “His Cinderella story is amongst one of the most amazing in all of sports. To be able to step into his shoes for even a moment to bring his and his family’s story to the big screen is an honor and a thrill. There is something in this movie for everyone and we’re really proud of that.”
American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story was announced in February 2020 and was supposed to be released on December 18, 2020. However, the release date was pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Levi joined the cast in July 2020, followed by Anna Paquin who will play Warner’s wife Brenda. Additionally, Dennis Quaid will play Dick Vermeil who was the head coach of the St. Louis Rams.
“Kurt lived the ultimate underdog story, it’s one of perseverance, dedication and tenacity, but also one of the powers behind the scenes — his family and his faith — that led him to victory. His story is bigger than football and inspiring to dreamers everywhere, and we’re excited to be getting started,” American Underdog directors Andrew and Jon Erwin said in a statement in 2020.
Warner signed with the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 1994. He was cut before the start of the season and spent time in Arena Football for a few years before signing with the Rams in 1998. From there, Warner won a Super Bowl and the NFL MVP award twice. After playing in the NFL for 12 years, Warner was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.
