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Jun 12, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; Retired NFL tight end Rob Gronkowski poses for photos with his girlfriend Camille Kostek during the New England Patriots Hall of Fame induction Ceremony for Tom Brady Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Patriots Legend Rob Gronkowski Appearing in Two 2026 Movies

Originally posted on New England Patriots on SI
By Mike D'Abate | Last updated Oct 29, 2025 4:30 PM ET

PROVIDENCE, RI — One of the New England Patriots’ most beloved legends of the “Dynasty Era” will soon be seen on the big screen in an upcoming feature film.

Former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is set to be joined by a star-studded ensemble cast in “The Roaring Game,” a sports-comedy which has been set for a February 2026 release, per Deadline. The film, which wrapped production in October 2024, was filmed in its entirety in Rhode Island. In addition to Gronkowski, the movie will star film veterans Mickey Rourke, William Forsythe and Vanessa Angel.

Directed and written by Rhode Island native Tom DeNucci, The Roaring Game is described as “the journey of Rickey (played by actor Darin Brooks) — a high school custodian who loses everything when his girlfriend is selected to play hockey for Team USA and compete in the World Games. Determined to win her back, he assembles a misfit curling team, leveraging his janitorial skills to compete for gold.”

“This film is a true throwback to the comedies of the ’90s and early 2000s, which there has been a vocal demand for among audiences,” Chad A. Verdi, President of Verdi Productions, said in a statement. “Brainstorm [Media] appreciates this underdog story and the comedy at the heart of the narrative. Their commitment to a February 2026 release, timed to coincide with the Winter Olympics, showed us that they understood the cultural moment we were aiming for.”

Gronkowski Has Second RI-Based Movie On the Way, Too!

In addition to “The Roaring Game, Gronkowski is also set for a starring role in “Bad News on the Doorstep,” described as “coming-of-age film” focusing on two Italian-American high school football players in 1950s New Jersey who find themselves dallying into the world of organized crime.

The film, which recently finished filming in Rhode Island, will co-star Academy Award-Nominated actor Chazz Palminteri, who is best known to audiences for his work in films such as A Bronx Tale, The Usual Suspects and Bullets Over Broadway.

It was directed by DeNucci and produced by Chad A. Verdi, Sera Verdi, Michelle Verdi, Paul Luba and Chad Verdi Jr., all of whom are Rhode Islanders.

Palminteri’s son, Dante, and Nick Davi, son of Robert Davi, are the lead actors, while their fathers portray two mafia kingpins. Sistine Stallone, daughter of Hollywood icon Sylvester Stallone, also features in the film. The film is slated for release in the third or fourth quarter of 2026. No details are available yet on the film’s distribution.

Gronkowski’s collaborations with DeNucci and the Verdi family are hardly his first experience with the silver screen. The charismatic tight end has also appeared in films such as Boss Level, The Instigators, Good Burger 2, and 2023’s 80 for Brady alongside his former Patriots teammates Tom Brady, Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman — as well as screen legends Jane Fonda, Sally Field, Lily Tomlin and Rita Moreno.

Regarded as arguably the greatest tight end of all time, Gronkowski played nine seasons for the Patriots, with his final two seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He is a four-time Super Bowl champion (XLIX, LI, LIII, LV), a five-time Pro Bowl selection, a four-time first-team All-Pro selection, and was selected to the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team and NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. He was also named to the New England Patriots All-2010s team and All-Dynasty Team.

This article first appeared on New England Patriots on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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