According to the manager for Nicolas Cage, multiple films were shopped at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival with Cage’s name attached when, in fact, the actor was not involved in the project at all.
Known for his willingness to do pretty much anything (if you don’t believe us, check out The Sorcerer’s Apprentice or the trailer for the upcoming Left Behind), Cage is an easy target for someone with an insane idea for a movie to claim they have a star already attached. While he was legitimately attached to a couple movies being sold at Cannes, Cage also had several fake projects bearing his name as well. Among them:
- 5 Minutes to Live, in which he plays a banker whose wife is kidnapped and ransomed for $10 million.
- Red Squad, the first movie for director John McTiernan (Predator, Die Hard) following his release from prison for lying to the FBI about hiring a private investigator to follow his ex-wife
- Dark Highway, another thriller, but without a plot description to speak of
While he may not be attached to them right this second, that’s not to say Cage won’t be eager to do these now that he knows the directors want him.
There are differing accounts about Cage’s knowledge of the fake projects, too; his manager says that he would never have that many at a time because it “dilutes the purchase price,” but a studio CEO said that Cage was very much involved in discussions for all of them. Given Cage’s status as Hollywood’s ultimate yes man, we’re inclined to believe the latter account.
[via THR]
