Cage Takes 2 Roles, Leaves 1

Nicolas Cage has been in the headlines over the past week surrounding a couple different projects. The at times over-the-top actor who has "Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans" releasing this year has signed on to two different action films and has closed negotiations on another. To read all the details on exactly what Nicolas Cage will be starring in and what he won't scroll down...


First up, I will cover the film Nicolas Cage won't be starring in. Unfortunately, THR reports that Sony/Columbia and Cage were not able to make an agreement for the 45 year old actor to join "The Green Hornet". Cage was being pursued to play the villain in the Seth Rogen action-comedy that is being directed by Michel Gondry. Now stuck without a villain and one week into shooting, "The Green Hornet", will move quickly trying to find a worthy replacement to Cage. One who (I assume) can deliver a "over-the-top" performance similar to Cage himself.

With Nicolas Cage not fighting Seth Rogen in "The Green Hornet" what exactly has Cage signed on to star in. Cage will instead do a 3D action for Nu Image/Millenium Films and a thriller for Maguire Entertainment and Endgame. Both films are centered around a theme of revenge. Neither of the two films announced however would have interfered with "The Green Hornet" shooting schedule, leaving Cage's reasons for not joining the film purely based on money.

The 3D action set up at Nu Image/Millenium Films titled "Drive Angry" follows Cage as he carries out a vendetta on the people who killed his daughter and have kidnapped her baby. THR reports that the studio has hired My Bloody Valentine 3D director Patrick Lussier to helm the 3D action revenge. Danny Dimbort, Trevor Short, Avi Lerner and Boaz Davidson will serve as executive producers, while Michael De Luca and Adam Fields are producing. "Drive Angry" is planning for a April shoot in Louisiana.

In related news: Fangoria reveals that Patrick Lussier has also been hired by Dimension Films and the Weinstein Co. to write and possibly direct "Halloween 3-D" which hopes to have a quick turn-around and release by summer 2010. With "Drive Angry" not beginning to shoot until April of 2010, Lussier could possibly direct "Halloween 3-D" and "Drive Angry" back-to-back, both of course being 3D.

"The Hungry Rabbit Jumps" being developed over at Maguire Entertainment and Endgame has pegged Nicolas Cage to star and attached Roger Donaldson to direct. THR reports the revenge thriller follows "A man (Cage) whose wife is the victim of a brutal crime. He subsequently becomes entangled with an underground vigilante organization." Sounds a lot like this year's "Law Abiding Citizen" starring Gerard Butler if you ask me. Donaldson, who directed 2008's The Bank Job should however, be able to bring a distinct vision to the "The Hungry Rabbit Jumps" with Cage in the lead that will be at least worth a watch. The film intends to begin shooting in January also in New Orleans.

More news on all of these fronts as they develop...

What say you? Any of these two new Nic Cage projects get you excited? Bummed that Cage will not be in The Green Hornet? News of Patrick Lussier writing Halloween 3-D enticing? Strikeback...