John Madden

Who knew that the guy whose big ol' mug is smiling on the box of all those old football video games could also direct movies? Not us.

Oh, what's that? That's a different John Madden? Okay, starting over.

John Madden the film director is also an old white guy, but he never directed any football movies. He's most well known for Shakespeare in Love, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011), The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015), and, by the time you read this, Marigold 3: Judi Dench Wants a New House (TBA). Madden has worked with Dame Judi a lot over the years, but he only needed a $2,000 peacock-feather budget on one of them: Shakespeare In Love, Or: Dang, Judi Dench, Your Costumes Are Amazing.

Madden was drawn to Shakespeare in Love's classic setting with a modern-day sensibility, and he liked its "sense of fun" and humor. Those seem to be two of his trademarks, making him a good fit for the film.