“The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” “Season of the Witch,” “Drive Angry,” “Seeking Justice,” “Trespass,” “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.” Is that it? Is Nicolas Cage finally done paying that tax bill? Can he go back to making interesting movies in-between the action pay-days again? Sadly, we doubt it, but here’s a project that should make Cage a chunk of change without having to lift a finger.
Writing duo Rob Garant and Thomas Lennon (“Reno 911!,” “Night at the Museum“) have had their script for “Action No. 1” picked up by Lionsgate. It tells the story of a group of nerds who try to steal the famed comic book — which features the first appearance of Superman — from Nicolas Cage. The actor’s comic was really stolen back in 2000 and was only discovered as recently as last year in an abandoned storage locker. In November Cage sold the comic at auction for $2.1 million, ensuring he no longer had to star in “Bangkok Dangerous 2: Bangkok Dangerouser.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the role of Cage was originally written with Cage in mind but now that looks unlikely, and Jason Statham‘s name has come up in connection with the project (though he too is probably unlikely to take it). Now we would pay good money to see Statham playing Cage, perhaps he’ll wear his wig from “Revolver“? We smell Oscars. Anyway, this sounds like a really exciting project to us, one that should appeal to broad sections of the mainstream cinema-going audience. It’s a nerd heist movie in which Nicolas Cage in the mark. Is there anyone out there this doesn’t appeal to in some way? If there is, then they’re probably busy watching Katherine Heigl movies anyway. We’ll be following this one with intrigue, particularly in regards to who will play Cage — the role of a lifetime for any actor, surely.
