''Madso's War'' is a 2010 American crime thriller television film directed by Walter Hill and written by Chris Bertolini. It stars

Matthew Marsden Matthew David Marsden (born 3 March 1973) is an English-American actor, producer, singer and former model. He has appeared in films such as '' Helen of Troy'', '' Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid'', '' Tamara'', '' Resident Evil: Extinct ...

Kelly Overton Kelly Overton is an American actress. She is known for portraying Vanessa Van Helsing in the 2016 Syfy fantasy drama series ''Van Helsing''. Early life Overton grew up in Wilbraham, Massachusetts, and studied at the American Academy of Dramati ...

Kevin Chapman Kevin Chapman (born July 29, 1962) is an American actor known for playing an assortment of characters ranging from the obnoxious brother Terrence Garrity in FX's '' Rescue Me'' to street enforcer Val Savage in Clint Eastwood's ''Mystic River'' ...

, Michael Mulheren,

David Patrick Kelly David Patrick Kelly (born January 23, 1951) is an American actor, musician and lyricist who has appeared in numerous films and television series. He is best known for his role as the main antagonist, Luther, in the cult film '' The Warriors'' (19 ...

William Lee Scott William Lee Scott (born July 6, 1973) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as high school student Stanley "Bullethead" Kuznocki on the WB sitcom ''The Steve Harvey Show''. Additionally, he appeared in the films '' Gone in 60 Second ...

, and Tim Murphy, with Harris Yulin, Mircea Monroe, Adam Trese,

Billy Lush Billy Lush (born November 30, 1981) is an American actor from New Haven, Connecticut. He graduated from Coral Springs High School in Coral Springs, Florida in 1999. He later attended Florida State University to pursue theatre. He is known for hi ...

, Billy Smith, James Colby, Joel Marsh Garland, and

Allan Graf Allan Lee Graf (born December 16, 1949) is an American athlete, actor, stuntman and director. A high school All-American football player at San Fernando in Los Angeles, California, Graf played offensive guard for the undefeated national champi ...

in supporting roles. The film was originally created as a two-hour

television pilot A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie), in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other distri ...

for

Spike TV Paramount Network is an American basic cable television channel owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Media Networks. The network's headquarters are located at the Paramount Pictures studio lot in Los Angeles. The channel was o ...

. It aired on Spike on December 30, 2010.

Premise

After the boss of Boston's Irish mob leaves town, a low-level gangster, Madso Madden, gathers a group of petty crooks to seize control of the streets.

Cast

Production

The film was based on an idea by executive producer

Dana White Dana Frederick White Jr. (born July 28, 1969) is an American businessman who serves as president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a global mixed martial arts organization. In August 2019, White's net worth was estimated at $500 milli ...

, best known for his association with

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

, who had lived in Boston and wanted to tell a story about the Irish mafia gang of

Whitey Bulger James Joseph "Whitey" Bulger Jr. (; September 3, 1929 – October 30, 2018) was an American organized crime boss who led the Winter Hill Gang in the Winter Hill neighborhood of Somerville, Massachusetts, a city directly northwest of Bost ...

. He brought on Chris Bertolini to write the script and sold it to Spike. In an interview, White stated that he understood the audience to be "18- to 34-year-old males who are the ones watching Spike TV". He further stated, "We're going to push the limits on this show, like '' Nip/Tuck'' and '' The Shield'' — violence, sex, bad language. We're going to see how big Spike's balls are on this one." Filming took place in Boston in late 2008. The working title was ''The War of '04''. Director Walter Hill had his name taken off the film and was credited as "Rob Marcus". Hill's biographer calls the film "unfocused and chaotic."

Premise

Cast

Production

References

External links