EA Reportedly Developing 'Madden Curse' Movie

Electronic Arts is developing a movie project based on the widely-discussed "Madden Curse" that seems to befall NFL players featured on the cover of their long-running football game series, according to an online report. Movie news site TheWrap quotes "an individual at Electronic Arts," who confirmed that EA VP of Entertainment Pat O'Brien is spearheading the project. According to the report, the film's story will focus on a champion Madden player who is featured on the corner of a the game before falling prey to the curse. EA has optioned film rights to franchise titles including Army of Two, Mass Effect and Spore in recent years, though none of these deals have yet resulted in an actual movie release. The Madden Curse has captivated the public imagination since at least 2000, when Minnesota Vikings quarterback Duante Culpepper led his team to a 5-11 season and set a new league record for fumbles and after being on the cover of Madden '02. Since then, players featured on the cover seem to suffer career-hindering injuries or precipitous drops in on-field performance the very next season, though the standards for measuring such a fate are widely variable year to year. The curse penetrated the public consciousness in recent years and is constantly mentioned in interviews with sports personalities. The curse has been the subject of everything from a trend piece in Time Magazine to wagers from European gambling sites. The Madden NFL series has been the subject of the Madden Nation competitive reality show on ESPN2 since 2005.