Few actors are as entertaining as Nicolas Cage, because almost no one else dives into roles as he does. The veteran actor has proven (over and over again) that he’s much more than a collection of meme-worthy absurdities thanks to legitimately great dramatic work in films such as PIG, JOE, and MANDY. But there’s no beating a Nicolas Cage film that lets him go way off the rails.

Which makes his upcoming THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT a unique showcase. The action-comedy hybrid features Nicolas Cage playing an exaggerated version of himself (including an additional imaginary younger version named Nicky Cage that chimes in from time to time) as the character finds himself in an extraordinary circumstance. Think Jean-Claude Van Damme’s JCVD but much sillier. 

This meta-premise allows Cage to indulge in all his wildest impulses while also commenting on the difference between his status as an icon and the reality of actually being Nicolas Cage. In other words, it might be a perfect Nicolas Cage movie.

As you can see in the trailer above THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT features Cage as "Nicolas Cage," who in the movie is a down on his luck actor with money problems. Which, in some ways isn't entirely divorced from Cage's real-world experience. He has talked openly about trying to work his way out of debt, and how that approach to solving his own problems helped him to forge a career with no equal.

In the movie, "Nicolas Cage" agrees to spend a weekend with his biggest fan (WONDER WOMAN 1984’s Pedro Pascal) in exchange for one million dollars. The problem is that his biggest fan also happens to be a dangerous criminal. To survive the weekend, Cage must draw upon all his action movie training and his general experience as Nicolas Cage. Luckily, he has a lot to draw upon.

Cage has veered into this lane before. For instance, in the truly wild 2018 film BETWEEN WORLDS, we see Cage’s character Joe Majors reading wit and wisdom from a book written by Nicolas Cage, according to its cover. Does it break the movie just for a moment and make you wonder what the heck is going on? Yes, it does. Is it awesome? Yes, it is.

An even more outrageous example can be found in the Spike Jonze comedy ADAPTATION, in which Cage portrays the film’s actual screenwriter, Charlie Kaufman. He also plays Charlie’s fictional twin brother, Donald Kaufman. The story features the two men working together (kind of?) to write the movie you’re watching as you’re watching it. So if the idea of Nicolas Cage participating in mind-bending fourth wall breaks seems familiar, that’s probably why. He hasn’t played himself to this degree before, but this is certainly territory he likes messing around in.

While you wait for MASSIVE TALENT, there is also an opportunity to engage with Nicolas Cage’s creative id directly. All you have to do is watch the only film he ever directed, SONNY. This James Franco feature doesn’t have anything to do with blurring lines of reality or breaking fourth walls, but it does give the viewer a chance to see what it looks like when Cage builds the walls himself.

In the meantime, there are tons of great Nicolas Cage movies out there to pore through while you get ready for THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT’s April 22, 2022 release date. And there’s no better way to get started than with ADAPTATION, BETWEEN WORLDS or SONNY. Get ready for a dive into Cage's fabulous psyche.

THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT opens on April 22.

All images courtesy of Lionsgate.