Nicolas Cage is one of the most talented living actors and his Oscar for 1995’s Leaving Las Vegas was richly deserved. And yet, for many, he’s simply known as something of a meme whose eccentric moments are viewed via YouTube compilations. But when Cage needs to bring the good he still can, as seen in the excellent Color Out Of Space and Mandy.
But his next film sounds like it’s going to be a real metafictional doozy. Titled The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Cage will play a fictionalized version of himself who’s grudgingly forced to accept a $1 million offer to attend the birthday of a Mexican superfan and billionaire (Pedro Pascal). Once there things go south and Cage has to perform as his most iconic characters in order to escape.
It sounds bonkers and something to definitely check out. But there’s one person who won’t ever see this movie: Nicolas Cage. In a new interview with Variety he seems to have concluded that it would simply be too weird:
“I will never see this movie. I’m told it’s a good movie. I’m told people love it and are enjoying the ride, but I made that for the audience. It’s too much for me to go to the premiere and sit there with everybody. Psychologically, that’s too bizarre and whacked out for me.”
Sounds like a smart decision to me. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent won’t be out until April 22, 2022, but if you’re craving Cage then you’re in luck as he’s got a great movie opening today.
Pig sees him playing a truffle-forager whose beloved pig goes missing. It’s sitting at an impressive 98% on the Tomatometer, with critics calling it a “beautiful odyssey of loss and love anchored by Nicolas Cage‘s affectingly raw performance”. Cage explained to Variety that he drew on his bond with his cat Merlin for the part, saying:
“I was always close with my animals. I think a lot of people that are in the public eye probably feel this as well. There’s a truth there. Sometimes when you meet somebody who knows you from a movie, but doesn’t know you as you, they want to undercut you in some way or see you as competition. You don’t get that with animals, so the animal relationships become the closest to family. They become the ones that have nothing to hide and just want to share this moment together with you.”
There’s already Oscar buzz around Pig, so if that hits and The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is as good as it sounds, 2022 could very well be the Year of Cage.
