Although a lot of what Dreamworks Animation produces doesn’t seem all that interesting (mainly being designed to hoover up cash from kids), The Croods looks like it could be a lot of fun. Now a new poster from the film has debuted. Nicolas Cage stars as Grug, the patriarch of a prehistoric family who are forced to leave their home behind after a devastating earthquake. As they journey to find a new place to live, they encounter an intriguing nomad (Ryan Reynolds), who Grug’s daughter (Emma Stone) falls for. Kirk De Micco (Space Chimps) and Chris Sanders (How to Train Your Dragon) direct, with the film currently due to hit UK cinemas March 22nd, 2013.
Donnie Darko’s Richard Kelly Takes On Amicus With Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage, who seems to sign up for at least five films a week, has now got another one. He’s set to team up with Donnie Darko and The Box director Richard Kelly for the true crime drama Amicus, according to Variety.
The film will be about the case of Lawrence Horn, a former music producer who was sentenced to death after he hired a hitman to murder his wife, quadriplegic son, and their night nurse in their Silver Springs, Maryland mansion. Horn apparently used the Paladin Press book, Hit Man: A Technical Manual for Independent Contractors, to plan the triple-murder, which led to the victims’ families filing a class-action lawsuit against the publisher.
Nicolas Cage will play attorney Rodney Smolla, who at first turned down the case due to his stringent belief in the First Amendment protection of freedom of speech. However, after reading the detailed how-to book, he changed his tune and took on the historic case, which took nearly five years to complete. Amicus is set to begin this coming January in Atlanta.
Nicolas Cage On For I Am Wrath, With William Fridkin Possibly Directing
Nicolas Cage goes for the splattergun approach to making films – sign up for as many as humanly possible in the hope that at least a few will hit their mark. Now he’s adding another to the lengthy roster of movies he has planned.
Deadline reports that Cage is now set to star in the new thriller I Am Wrath, with William Friedkin circling the project to direct as a follow-up to his successful (for him at least) Killer Joe. Paul Sloan wrote the screenplay which follows Stanley (Nicolas Cage), a man who becomes frustrated with the cops when they fail to find his wife’s killer. When he uncovers widespread police corruption, he becomes a vigilante, sworn to take down these crooked cops.
The hope is to start shooting next February.
Nicolas Cage Set To Be Joe For David Gordon Green
David Gordon Green started out with strong indie fare like George Washington and Undertow, but has spent the last few years making silly comedies like Your Highness, Pineapple Express and The Sitter. He’s been planning to get more serious with a remake of Suspiria and has now lined up another movie that takes him back to the gritty dramas he started with.
That movie is Joe, which Variety reports has Nicolas Cage attached to star. The film is based on the novel by Larry Brown about an ex-con who starts an unlikely friendship with a 15-year-old by named Gary Jones. Gary is the oldest child of a homeless family with a drunken father, and sees Joe as a positive, if unlikely, role model. The two of them then set out to try and find redemption and a better life elsewhere in Mississippi.
Gordon Green commented, “When Larry Brown wrote the novel Joe, he instantly created an iconic character of contemporary Southern literature. It is with great excitement that I’ve been able to work with Nicolas Cage to design an absolute and unexpected performance piece that is woven from the darkness, beauty, humor and environment of this material.”
Production is currently being set to start this November in Texas (which incidentally suggest that production on Suspiria has once again been pushed back, as that was supposed to be shooting this autumn).
New Pic From Dreamworks Animation’s The Crood
Dreamworks Animation is going prehistoric with The Croods, which is due to hit cinemas next March 22nd. Now a new image from the film has emerged, via EW, which is billed as a first look, although we have had this poster before.
Here’s the synopsis: ‘The Croods is a 3D comedy adventure from DreamWorks Animation that takes us back to the beginning – to a previously undiscovered era known as the Croodacious – a time when Mother Nature was still experimenting and the flora and fauna we know today hasn’t evolved yet. At the heart of this comedically chaotic world is the Crood family, led by Grug (Academy Award® winner Nicolas Cage), an over-protective father who, like all dads, is doing all he can to hold his family together as the world around them changes at a dramatic pace.
‘Together with his wife (Catherine Keener), kids (Emma Stone and Clark Duke) and ornery mother-in-law (Cloris Leachman) in tow, Grug guides his family through this spectacular environment, full of amazing creatures, to find a new cave to call home. Along the way, they encounter Guy (Ryan Reynolds), an imaginative and resourceful newcomer who takes risks and wholeheartedly embraces the promise of tomorrow. Audiences will relate to the hilarious family antics as Guy helps the Croods navigate their way into the bright future.’
Stolen Trailer – Nic Cage must do one more heist to save his daughter
After Trespass and Justice, Nicolas Cage continues his love of generically named thrillers (which can preferably be shot near his home in New Orleans) with Stolen, and the trailer for the film has now arrived. In the film, Will Montgomery (Cage) is a master thief who after being double-crossed in a heist gone awry is sent to prison for eight years. Upon his release he’s ready to leave his criminal past behind and try to rebuild a relationship with his estranged daughter Allison. The FBI and his old cohorts believe that he hid the loot from the last heist 8 years ago, $10 Million in Bonds. To get his hands on it, his old partner Vincent (Josh Lucas) kidnaps Allison and demands the entire $ 10 Million as ransom. Keeping her in the soundproofed trunk of a Taxi Cab, he’s able to stay mobile amongst the throngs of taxis out during Mardi Gras day making it nearly impossible to find. Montgomery only has one day to get the $10 Million ransom but much to the disbelief of the FBI on his trail and Vincent, Will doesn’t actually have it. Instead, he must trust his instincts and his old partner in crime, the beautiful, sexy and smart Riley (Malin Ackerman), to do one more clever heist to get his daughter back alive before it’s too late. Simon West (Con Air, Expendables 2) directs.
Clint Eastwood, Harrison Ford & Nicolas Cage Wanted For Expendables 3
The Expendables 2 is set to close the summer movie season with a bang when it’s released later this week. With that film already in the can, the producers are already looking to the future and The Expendables 3.
Producer Avi Lerner has been talking to Total Film and told them that they are going after even more big names in the potential follow-up, “We’ve approached Clint Eastwood to be one of the guys, we’ve got a character in mind for him. We’re talking to Harrison Ford. [And we want] Wesley Snipes when he comes back from prison. I’ll give you one more name, we’ve got Nicolas Cage to play [one of the characters]. And we’re going to bring Mickey Rourke back, if he won’t be too crazy. I like Mickey. And of course, all the existing stars [will return].”
It isn’t known if Sylvester Stallone is writing the screenplay for this third installment, although it seems they definitely have some new characters worked out. If The Expendables 2 director Simon West returns, he will reunite with Nicolas Cage, who starred in his 1997 action-thriller Con Air, and the filmmaker’s upcoming Stolen, debuting in cinemas later this year.
While it seem Cage has already agreed, I reckon Lerner will be very lucky to get Eastwood and Ford, who are incredibly picky about they’re projects. Eastwood in particular hardly makes any movie any more as an actor, and it’s tough to imagine he’ll agree to this.
Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance (DVD)
Director: Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor
Running Time: 90 mins
Certificate: 15
Release Date: June 25th, 2012
Johnny Blaze (Nicolas Cage), aka Ghost Rider, is lying low in Eastern Europe, trying to control the demonic presence inside him. However he’s sought out by a man called Moreau (Idris Elba), who wants to use the Rider and in return he promises to try and free Johnny from the curse of the flame-skulled demon inside him. Moreau wants Johnny to protect a young boy, who happens to the son of the Devil. Satan, in the human form of Roarke (Ciaran Hinds), has plans for the child, which Johnny and the Rider must stop.
Many were surprised that a sequel to the somewhat disappointing Ghost Rider was put into production, and reports that the reason it was rushed through was because Sony would otherwise lose the rights to the character didn’t exactly promote confidence. However early footage reignited interest, with fun-looking, slightly insane images of the Rider pissing fire and zooming around on his bike. [Read more…]
Cage And Rourke Going To Marble City (And Mickey’s back for Sin City 2)
Mickey Rourke has a lot to thank Sin City for, as it massively reinvigorated his career. However until now we haven’t known whether he’d be back as Marv in the upcoming sequel, Sin City: A Dame To Kill For. However The Playlist confirms that not only will Rourke be back, but Jessica Alba will return for the film too. It starts shooting soon, with an October 2013 release now set – and it’ll be in 3D too!
It’s not the only Rourke news, as Coming Soon reports that he’s also signed up for Marble City, as has Nicolas Cage. Marble City has been doing the rounds in Hollywood for quite a few years now, but it finally looks like it’s moving forward, with Azumi and Midnight Meat Train director Ryuhei Kitamura helming.
Apparently, ‘Marble City takes us on a journey of a newly released prisoner who seeks revenge on those that put him inside. It is the story of a man who finds his inner peace through vengeance.’
Producer Jeremy Wall says, “The film is a high action and close combat fighting picture. We will bring a dynamic flair to the screen with this director and story. We are delighted to be attracting the highest caliber of actor in the business to work with us in this venture, namely Oscar winning actor Nicolas Cage and Oscar winning actor Mickey Rourke. let the battle begin.” Umm, we know a producer’s job is to big up a project, but giving Mickey Rourke an Oscar he hasn’t won is going a bit far.
The ‘Kill Bill meets Drive’ movie starts shooting in August.
Nicolas Cage, Johnny Knoxville & Juno Temple Join Wild Side
Nicolas Cage, Johnny Knoxville, and Juno Temple make for an intriguing trio to star together in a movie, and it looks like it’s going to happen as they’ve all signed up to appear in Wild Side for director Jesse Baget, according to Deadline.
The story is about Lila Belle Clyde (Juno Temple), a former beauty queen who skips town with a cache of stolen diamonds. Lila must also elude the cops, an aggressive journalist, and Odel (Nicolas Cage), a serial killer who is trying to recover the diamonds.
Jesse Baget is directing from a screenplay he co-wrote with Stefania Moscato. Production is slated to begin July 23rd in New Orleans.