Nicolas Cage Rewatched Face/Off To Prepare To Play Himself In New Movie
Nicolas Cage reveals that he rewatched his performance in Face/Off as part of his preparation for The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.
Nicolas Cage reveals that he recently rewatched his performance in Face/Off to prepare himself for The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. Helmed by legendary director John Woo, the 1997 action picture follows FBI agent Sean Archer (played by John Travolta) and criminal terrorist Castor Troy (played by Cage) after a plan to surgically swap their identities in order to foil a bomb plot goes horribly wrong. Arguably Woo’s greatest Hollywood feature, the film was a huge commercial and critical success, grossing $245 million worldwide and holding 92% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Since the Academy Award nominated picture, Cage has gone on to enjoy a long and illustrious career, starring in action titles such as National Treasure, Ghost Rider and Rage. His most recent feature, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, made its debut at SXSW earlier this month and has already been lauded by critics as a love letter to Cage. The 58-year-old actor stars in the film as a fictionalized version of himself whose need for quick cash leads him to agree to attend a billionaire fan’s birthday party. Though he strikes a quick friendship with Javi Gutierrez (played by Pedro Pascal) things quickly go off the rails when the CIA informs him of his host’s criminal dealings.
In a red carpet appearance at SXSW, Cage has now revealed to Insider that he re-visited his old Face/Off role in preparation for The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. “I looked at Face/Off again, which I was really wowed by,” he said. Adding that he believed the film had “aged beautifully”, Cage also voiced his renewed admiration for director John Woo and his former co-star Travolta.
Speculation over a possible Face/Off sequel has circulated for some time. Though Cage has recently stated that he has “not heard hide nor hair about it”, the proposed director of the sequel, Adam Wingard, has previously suggested that both Cage and Travolta have been approached over a possible return. Face/Off writer Simon Barrett has stated that while there is “a lot of enthusiasm” to see a sequel produced, progress on the film’s development remains to be seen, with Barrett confessing that the confusing nature of the story has caused delays. Despite this, Cage’s evident and renewed appreciation for the 1997 classic, as well as his previously voiced interest, suggest that he’d be more than enthused to return to the title.
Though Cage did not reveal exactly what inspiration he hoped to glean from his re-watching of Face/Off, his new role undoubtedly demanded a huge amount of reflection on his past work. Known for his unique “nouveau shamanic” acting style, viewers may be curious to see how this was deployed while making such a hugely self-referential picture, particularly in the wake of the initial critical praise for his performance. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent arrives in cinemas on April 22.
Source: Insider