Tom Brady’s new Patriots Super Bowl movie announcement came out of nowhere
By Jerry Trotta
Not many teams in NFL history can say they had a chokehold on the rest of the league for a multiyear stretch. The Tom Brady-led New England Patriots, though, did so for two full decades. The run included nine Super Bowl appearances, six championships and winning the AFC East by default nearly every year.
With a half-dozen Super Bowl wins, three MVP awards and breaking countless NFL records along the way, it’s almost impossible to pinpoint the quarterback’s greatest achievement in a Patriots uniform.
Right up there with any of them has to be New England’s epic comeback in Super Bowl LI against the Atlanta Falcons. The game alone deserves a documentary, but Patriots fans will have to settle for the silver screen in the meantime.
On Wednesday, The Hollywood Reporter — literally out of nowhere — broke the news that Brady will produce and play himself in “80 for Brady,” a movie chronicling four women who travel to see TB12 play in Super Bowl LI.
The film is set to begin production as soon as this spring.
Tom Brady will play himself in "80 for Brady," a football-themed road trip movie set to begin production this spring. He will also produce the film. https://t.co/GIV8efplGC
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) February 23, 2022
Tom Brady will produce and appear in a movie predicated on the Patriots’ Super Bowl LI victory over the Falcons.
Here’s a full breakdown of the plot, via the Hollywood Reporter.
"Inspired by a true story, Brady tells of four best friends and New England Patriots fans who take a life-changing trip to the 2017 Super Bowl LI to see their quarterback hero, Tom Brady, play and the chaos that ensues as they navigate the wilds of the biggest sporting event in the country."
While Brady’s influence alone will attract a big audience, the film’s true story aspect is another compelling intangible.
Not only that, but the four friends will be played by Academy Award winners in Jane Fonda and Sally Field, as well as Lily Tomlin and Rita Moreno, who are accomplished Hollywood stars in their own right. Anyone familiar with the actresses’ work can testify to the humor they’ll bring to the movie.
For his first act of retirement, Tom Brady will be producing and acting in a movie with four retirees. https://t.co/7G4dkMVozt
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) February 23, 2022
It’s unclear how big of an acting role Brady will have in the film, but the 44-year-old has made the occasional cameo over his NFL career. Those include appearances in Entourage and Ted 2, both of which were piloted by Boston native and Patriots super fan Mark Wahlberg.
Brady has also become a regular star in recent commercials for Subway, T-Mobile and Hertz. Of course, going from 30-second advertisements to “starring” in a major motion picture is a significant leap.
Brady has made a habit out of exceeding expectations on the big stage. If everything he touches does, in fact, turn to gold, then “80 for Brady” will be a huge hit. If it flops, he’ll probably just move on to his next post-NFL business venture.
