The feeling of forced joy and fulfillment is evident on the face of Nicolas Cage in the first-look images of the upcoming comedy-thriller The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.
The images showcase Cage in unfurled glory, with a fully-grown beard seemingly enjoying the life that being a celebrity brings, including relaxing poolside with expensive drinks, cliff diving into the ocean, and driving his jeep, all while the film’s superfan, Javi (Pedro Pascal), explores the depths of superstardom with his idol.
Cage will play a highly exaggerated version of himself in the film, and asked how he approached the role of playing “Nicolas Cage” in an interview with Collider, Cage said that Tom Gormican, who, in addition to directing the film, co-wrote the script for The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent along with Kevin Etten, wanted him to play a “highly-neurotic, anxiety-ridden version” of himself. “I’m not this neurotic, high-strung, anxiety-ridden guy all the time,” Cage said, adding that, after persuading Gormican, he went all-in on “neurotic Cage.”
This version of Cage is the main reason why the actor said he won’t see the finished product, even though his manager, Mike Nilon, told him that the film was good and that the audience in a test screening had a positive reaction to the film. “It’s just too much of a whacked-out trip for me,” he said.
The film stars Cage as a down-on-his-luck version of himself who accepts one million dollars to attend a birthday party for Javi, a crime boss who also happens to be a huge fan of the actor, including owning a wax statue of Cage. Soon as he accepts the offer and attends the party, things spiral out of control for the two. Neil Patrick Harris, Lily Sheen, and Tiffany Haddish will co-star along with Cage and Pascal in the film.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is tentatively scheduled to be released in theaters on April 22. Check out the first-look images below.
