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Nicolas Cage Wants To Do Wicker Man 2
The star on The Matrix and LOTR

27 January 2012  |  Written by Phil de Semlyen  


Nicolas Cage Wants To Do Wicker Man 2

Yesterday was an epic day at Empire. In case you weren't one of the throng squeezed sardine-like onto the internet for the great man's webchat, Nicolas Cage was here to field all manner of questions, from the wise to the plain wacky, and all things in between.

When he wasn't elucidating on his experiences in a haunted Romanian forest or talking us through his Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance prep in Stanislavskian detail, he was sharing his favourite movie lines ("Vive la fucking France, man!") and joining the ongoing Best Sandwich Ever debate with a roast lamb, tomato and rocket affair.

Along the way, there were a couple of interesting Cage titbits worth sharing. The first was that he's open to the idea of a Wicker Man sequel. Now before you run screaming "Not the bees! Not the bees!" (if it's not too late), this was delivered with half a smile and a wryness that suggests it could be nothing more than a pipe-dream. But still, can you imagine?

Us neither. Cage can, though. "I would like to hook up with one of the great Japanese filmmakers, like the master that made Ringu, and take The Wicker Man to Japan," Cage grinned, "except this time he's a ghost." If Hideo Nakata is reading this, the bees.

Cage also mentioned how he turned down roles in not one but two major franchises over the past decade. "There were two movies that asked me to go to Australia or New Zealand for long periods of time. One was Lord Of The Rings and one was the Matrix. But I was actively involved at that time raising my family and I couldn't really take that time out."

As Ghost Rider's fiery Romanian sojourn proves, he's happy to travel again. So would he be open to revisit the National Treasure franchise for a third time? "I would, but I've not heard any news about a third one at this time, and it would be interesting to take National Treasure into South America."

Considering the first two movies grossed nearly $800m between them, don't discount Benjamin Gates learning Spanish for National Treasure 3: The Merciless Peppers of Quetzalacatenango.

For the full webchat transcript, including the best story about staff-whittling ever, click here.

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance is out on 17 February.
 

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Your Comments

RE: Cage in LOTR?
I reckon Gollum. More

Posted by Spaldron at 18:54 on 28 January 2012 | Report This Post

RE: Cage in LOTR?
I would have thought Bomomir rather than Aragon. More

Posted by Rgirvan44 at 18:52 on 28 January 2012 | Report This Post

RE: Cage in LOTR?
Cage as Aragorn would have been hilarious ''So let me get this right, we have to fight our way into Mordor and defeat only a few HUNDRED.THOUSAND.ORCS, and throw the ring into a volcano? HOW..in the name of ZEUS'S BUTTHOLE..are we going to do that?''  More

Posted by Cool Breeze at 18:22 on 28 January 2012 | Report This Post

RE: Cage in LOTR?
This whole story is hilarious More

Posted by rich at 13:33 on 28 January 2012 | Report This Post

RE: Cage in LOTR?
I definitely remember reading he was originally wanted for the Aragorn role, which quite frankly would have been hilarious. Also, imagine Cage as Neo, that would have been too much awesome. More

Posted by Coyleone at 12:37 on 28 January 2012 | Report This Post

RE: Cage in LOTR?
God, it can't have been Aragorn. Not a main part like that, surely? I think it might have been Elrond. More

Posted by JohnnyWalker2001 at 02:13 on 28 January 2012 | Report This Post

RE: Cage in LOTR?
L: King of Kafiristan This story doesn't make much sense to me.. if there were to be a sequel, it would either have to be a prequel about the boring life of Cage before his island visit, or a sequel, which would by definition be set after Cage's character's death. t's very simple - the trick is to READ THE STORY. He says he wants to do it as a Japanese-type horror where his character is a ghost. More

Posted by Osric at 21:31 on 27 January 2012 | Report This Post

RE: Cage in LOTR?
And I want some of what he's been smokeing! More

Posted by Wild about Wilder at 17:02 on 27 January 2012 | Report This Post

RE: Cage in LOTR?
L: Spaldron I wonder what part he was offered in LOTR (if the story is true)? Same with The Matrix, although I guess it was probably Smith. iven his star power in 98/99 (LOTR pre production days at NEWLINE), I'd have to assume we're talking about the Aragon role. No one else really fits, and he definitely wouldn't have gone for a smaller, shiftier part like Boromir, I think More

Posted by King of Kafiristan at 16:07 on 27 January 2012 | Report This Post

RE: Cage in LOTR?
L: Spaldron I wonder what part he was offered in LOTR (if the story is true)? hy would he make it up? More

Posted by Darth Marenghi at 16:03 on 27 January 2012 | Report This Post

RE: Cage in LOTR?
This story doesn't make much sense to me.. if there were to be a sequel, it would either have to be a prequel about the boring life of Cage before his island visit, or a sequel, which would by definition be set after Cage's character's death. Perhaps James Franco, king of wooden acting, would be better suited to extend his cameo from the original into a feature length tale of horror and honey bees  More

Posted by King of Kafiristan at 15:55 on 27 January 2012 | Report This Post

RE: Cage in LOTR?
Stupid double post site glitch! More

Posted by Spaldron at 15:08 on 27 January 2012 | Report This Post

Cage in LOTR?
I wonder what part he was offered in LOTR (if the story is true)? Same with The Matrix, although I guess it was probably Smith. More

Posted by Spaldron at 15:08 on 27 January 2012 | Report This Post

Cage in LOTR?
I wonder what part he was offered in LOTR (if the story is true)? Same with The Matrix, although I guess it was probably Smith. More

Posted by Spaldron at 15:07 on 27 January 2012 | Report This Post

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