Nicolas Cage Is Having a Moment

Film The star of “Prisoners of the Ghostland,” a new fantasy film that he compares to “Conan the Barbarian,” digs into what keeps him interested four decades into his movie career. By Chris Kornelis Updated Nov. 3, 2021 Tap story

Cage won an Oscar for his performance “Leaving Las Vegas” and is known for big-screen blockbusters like “Face/Off,” “The Rock” and “Gone in 60 Seconds.” United Artists/Everett Collection, Cover: RLJE Films { "selector": ".wsj--ani-media-pan", "duration": "10s", "easing": "ease-out", "fill": "forwards", "keyframes": [ {"transform": "translateX(-15px) scale(1.1)"}, {"transform": "translateX(15px) scale(1.1) "} ] }

But he has spent the latest chapter of his career taking on a large body of eclectic roles in smaller films. The Avenue { "selector": ".wsj--ani-media-zoom", "duration": "3s", "easing": "ease-out", "keyframes": [ {"transform": "scale(1.03)"}, {"transform": "scale(1)"} ] }

Cage says his two latest projects, “Pig” and “Prisoners of the Ghostland,” demonstrate the kind of range he wants to explore. Neon/Everett Collection { "selector": ".wsj--ani-text-slide .wsj--animation-wrapper", "duration": "1s", "easing": "ease-out", "keyframes": [ {"transform": "translateY(10px)","opacity":"0"}, {"transform": "translateY(0)","opacity":"1"} ] }

“The older we get, it’s very easy to lose interest.

And that is death. Because if I lose interest, the audience is going to lose interest.” { "selector": ".wsj--ani-text-fade", "duration": "2s", "easing": "ease-out", "keyframes": [ {"opacity": "0"}, { "opacity": "1"} ] }

In his latest movie, Cage’s character, known as Hero, is enlisted to find a warlord’s granddaughter. He must traverse a supernatural place known as the Ghostland. RLJE Films/Everett Collection { "selector": ".wsj--ani-media-zoom", "duration": "3s", "easing": "ease-out", "keyframes": [ {"transform": "scale(1.03)"}, {"transform": "scale(1)"} ] }

This mysterious region has its origin, one character explains, in “the age of nuclear towers, great atomic reactors strong enough to power an empire, or destroy it.” RLJE Films/Everett Collection { "selector": ".wsj--ani-media-pan", "duration": "10s", "easing": "ease-out", "fill": "forwards", "keyframes": [ {"transform": "translateX(-15px) scale(1.1)"}, {"transform": "translateX(15px) scale(1.1) "} ] }

As if that weren’t enough of an obstacle, explosives are placed on his body—his neck, arms, even between his legs. If he doesn’t finish the job in time, they are going to go off. RLJE Films/Everett Collection { "selector": ".wsj--ani-media-zoom", "duration": "3s", "easing": "ease-out", "keyframes": [ {"transform": "scale(1.03)"}, {"transform": "scale(1)"} ] }

When his character appears menacingly close to the woman he is sent to find, one of the devices explodes and he loses a testicle. It’s a scene some actors might shy away from. Not Cage. RLJE Films/Everett Collection { "selector": ".wsj--ani-media-pan", "duration": "10s", "easing": "ease-out", "fill": "forwards", "keyframes": [ {"transform": "translateX(-15px) scale(1.1)"}, {"transform": "translateX(15px) scale(1.1) "} ] }

“If anything, I saw it as a suggestion, if you want to read into it, of how terrifying it is now in the culture currently,” he says, referring to what he described as a tense climate among men and women. “It’s like a warning.” RLJE Films/Everett Collection { "selector": ".wsj--ani-media-zoom", "duration": "3s", "easing": "ease-out", "keyframes": [ {"transform": "scale(1.03)"}, {"transform": "scale(1)"} ] } Read the full story

Produced by Nathan Giannini Read the full story

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RLJE Films/Everett Collection