ESPN working on new ‘Monday Night Football’ open

ESPN is creating a new open for “Monday Night Football” with the help of TV and movie actor and director.

The network has hired Peter Berg, who has appeared on TV’s “Friday Night Lights” and “Chicago Hope” and directed episodes of those programs as well as appearing in and directing last year’s “Battleship” movie, among numerous other projects.

Berg also directed the ESPN documentary series “30 for 30.”

According to Broadcasting & Cable, the new open will start with grainy footage and a voiceover from Chet Forte, the first “Monday Night Football” director. Next up will be the “standby and roll tape” followed by a welcome message from Howard Cosell, the show’s original commentator.

Following this, a variety of clips will be spliced together chronologically to showcase the show’s history.

The open is also designed to be modified slightly each week, adding specific footage from the teams playing.

In addition to Berg, a Hollywood trailer production company, Ignition Creative, worked on the project.

The new open comes two years after ESPN axed Hank Williams Jr. as open’s singer.

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