There was a time when Nicolas Cage was a respected actor. And in some circles, that’s still very much the case. But his vacillations between high and low art, combined with his money issues – which led him to taking roles in bad films to pay off severe debts – have led to him becoming more of a meme than an actor. Fortunately, he’s leaning in to it.
Having recently starred in the bizarre and self-referential Mandy, Cage will now play himself in the meta drama, Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent. Tom Gormican is attached to direct from a wacky screenplay that he co-wrote alongside Kevin Etten. Cage will produce himself vis his Saturn Films banner.
Before you scoff at this idea, know that Lionsgate bizarrely won a bidding war for the film, beating out Paramount and HBO Max. The film follows ‘Nicolas Cage’ trying to get a role in a new Quentin Tarantino movie while navigating a strained relationship with his teenage daughter.
However, because of his mountain of debt, he’s forced to make an appearance at the birthday party of a Mexican billionaire who also happens to be a ruthless drug kingpin. When it turns out the kingpin has kidnapped the daughter of a local politician, the CIA recruits Cage to get involved and assume the role of action hero once again.
Reportedly, the script also calls “for Cage to talk to an egotistical 1990s version of himself who’s critical of his recent career choices, with references to Cage classics such as Leaving Las Vegas, Face/Off and Gone In 60 Seconds“. The entire script has been described a mix of Adaptation (a truly great Cage performance in a dual role) and JCVD, which starred Jean-Claude Van Damme as a fictional version of himself.
It’s little surprise to learn that the screenplay was originally written as a joke by Gormican and Etten, conceived as simply a way to get their foot in the door of the industry. Gormican previously directed the romcom That Awkward Moment, which starred Zac Efron, Michael B. Jordan, and Miles Teller.
Look, does this film sound utterly ridiculous? Yes. But does it also sound weirdly fascinating? Absolutely. Cage has always had a sense of humour about himself, but until recently he’s been phoning it in with independent crime films that no one has heard of. Not only should this be a far more interesting role, it should be a far better paycheque for him, too.
#Peace.Love.UnbearableWeightOfMassiveTalent
