The seminal award-winning actor Nicolas Cage made a swift return to Hollywood in 2022, playing… Himself. In The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Cage takes on the role of a lifetime and plays ‘Nic Cage’, a fictionalised version of himself, making his way back onto our screens and into our hearts.
Where To Watch
Currently, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is available to rent or buy on Apple TV, Amazon and the Microsoft Store.
Trailer
The Cast & Crew
In The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Nicolas Cage appears as a fictionalised version of himself, playing a creatively unfulfilled actor facing financial ruin named ‘Nic Cage’.
Cage told Entertainment Weekly that he instantly felt a connection to the role, as the character works in Hollywood’s fickle industry, in which success comes in ebbs and flows.
“Feeling unfulfilled and contending with the rejection that can happen so often in the small town that is Hollywood.”
Initially, Cage was hesitant to accept the role, as he feared the character was a little too close to home.
“I wasn’t too excited about the idea of playing myself, but when Tom sent me this script, Nicky reminded me a little of Jerry Lewis’ Buddy Love in ‘The Nutty Professor,’” he said.
“I always admired what he did with that movie. For me, Nicky steals the show.”
The film also stars comedian Tiffany Haddish, famous for Girls Trip and The Kitchen, and Ike Barinholtz, known for The Mindy Project. Pedro Pascal, Sharon Horgan, Lily Sheen, Jacob Scipio, Neil Patrick Harris and Paco León also appear in the film.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent was directed by Tom Gormican, who wrote the film alongside Kevin Etten, who serves as a film producer with Mike Nilton, Cage, Kristin Burr and Kevin Turen.
Gormican, who most notably has directed Ghosted and That Awkward Moment, wrote the role with Cage in mind but believed it was “a shot in the dark” getting him for the film.
The Plot
As mentioned previously, Cage plays a bitter actor facing financial hardship who is made a $1 million offer to attend a billionaire super fan’s birthday party. However, things take a wild unexpected turn when it’s revealed the dangerous superfan is really a drug kingpin who forces Cage to recapture his most beloved on-screen characters to save himself and his loved ones.
Patrick Harris will appear as Cage’s manager, and Haddish will play Vivian, a CIA operative who recruits the actor to help take down the drug lord.
What The Critics & Reviews Say
Currently, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent has a 7.1 IMDB score and a critic rating of 86% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Australian Release Date
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent was released in Aussie cinemas on the 22nd of April 2022.
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