The story of Kurt Warner’s path to becoming an all-time great NFL player is being turned into a movie. According to Variety, Lionsgate is developing a biopic about Warner that will hit theaters on Dec. 18.
It’s titled “American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story.”
Warner issued a statement on the announcement, sharing his excitement about the project and being able to bring his story to a wide audience beyond just football fans.
“For the longest time I dreamed of having a story similar to many of my heroes, but as my journey began to stray further and further from that path, I wondered, ‘Why me?’ As I look back on that journey now, I believe I am finally able to answer that question,” Warner said. “I believe God has taken me on this journey to inspire others that no matter what life may throw at you, your dreams can still come true. 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!”
Warner’s path to football stardom wasn’t comparable to most players. He wasn’t a first-round pick who went on to have success early and eventually made it to the Hall of Fame. He went undrafted in 1994, played three seasons in the Arena Football League from 1995-1997, made a stop in NFL Europe with the Amsterdam Admirals and eventually landed with the Rams in 1998.
He led them to a title in Super Bowl XXXIV, won two NFL MVP awards in 1999 and 2001 and made four Pro Bowls. Warner went on to become one of the greatest undrafted players in NFL history, being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.
The film will be based on interviews with Warner, according to Variety, and center around his memoir, “All Things Possible: My Story of Faith, Football, and the First Miracle Season.”