The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent Star Nicolas Cage Feels 'Pretty Good' About Playing Nicolas Cage
You know who's enjoying a sneakily great 2021? Nicolas Cage, that's who. Taken together, all three of the films he's starred in this year have shown off the full range of acting talent that the man, myth, and legend is fully capable of. "Prisoners of the Ghostland" feels like a classic unhinged Cage performance filtered through a very specific Eastern lens. "Willy's Wonderland" somehow dials up the Cage-meter even higher, pitting the him against an army of creepy animatronic characters. Neither of those films have anything on "Pig," however, which challenges audiences to leave all their preconceptions of the actor at the door and get sucked into his muted and genuinely soulful performance in one of the best movies of the year. And yet, it's entirely possible that Cage will somehow manage to one-up himself with his next film, "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent," which stars the actor as ... himself, or at least a fictionalized version of himself who ends up becoming recruited into a CIA operation. You know, just a normal day in the life of Nicolas Cage.
With a teaser promised to arrive tomorrow, we're finally getting a closer look at the bizarre and oh-so-Cage upcoming movie.
"It's Not Me. I'm Feeling Pretty Good About Things"
Some actors might have trouble separating themselves sometimes from the fictional characters they portray. Don't count Nicolas Cage among them, because I would imagine it takes an incredible amount of self-awareness and comfort to join a film that relies on the premise of the most meme-able actor alive playing himself. "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent" comes with a title as loaded as its premise, but Cage seems entirely in on the joke. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Cage clarifies where the lines are drawn between fact and fiction:
"It's an invented version of Nic Cage. The character is feeling unfulfilled and contending with the rejection that can happen so often in the small town that is Hollywood. It's not me. I'm feeling pretty good about things."
Boy, you know you've made it in this business when you're able to talk about yourself in the third person. The story kicks off when Cage visits a super-fan of his (and a crime boss, to boot!) named Javi, played by Pedro Pascal. However, it might not be quite as uncomfortable as you might think. According to Cage, "Javi has a wax statue of Nic and you think, 'Oh, it might be awkward between a film star and a fan. But they're both cinephiles, so they're having wonderful conversations about 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' and 'Paddington 2.'"
Filling out the rest of the cast is Neil Patrick Harris as Cage's agent, Sharon Horgan and Lily Sheen as his ex-wife and daughter, and Tiffany Haddish as his CIA agent handler. As if all that wasn't ridiculous enough, Cage is also playing "Nicky" in this film, who is a figment of his own imagination. Written and directed by Tom Gormican, "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent" faced an uphill climb to convince Cage to buy in. "[Nicky's] got the lanky long hair; he's just constantly riding Nic about his career choices. I wasn't too excited about the idea of playing myself, but when Tom sent me this script, Nicky reminded me a little of Jerry Lewis' Buddy Love in 'The Nutty Professor.' I always admired what he did with that movie. For me, Nicky steals the show."
Head on over to EW to check out the first look images from the film and stay tuned for the release of the teaser tomorrow.