(L to R) Nicolas Cage and John Travolta in ‘Face/Off’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Preview:
Nicolas Cage will star in new crime epic ‘Gambino.’
He’ll work again with ‘Face/Off’ director John Woo.
George Gallo and Nick Vallelonga wrote the script.
Back in 1997, director John Woo delivered some slick, silly action fun via ‘Face/Off’ which saw John Travolta’s dedicated FBI agent Sean Archer using special face-swapping technology to assume the identity of crazed criminal Castor Troy (Nicolas Cage) in an attempt to foul his latest scheme. Troy, in turn gets ahold of Archer’s face and the rest is pure 1990s Woo goodness.
It has been nearly 30 years since Woo and Cage worked together, but they’re set to team back up for a new crime epic called ‘Gambino.’
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The new movie will find Cage playing a mob boss who rules with a quiet authority in New York. Will it feature lots of Woo’s action flourishes. No one can say exactly yet, but we’d bet good money doves will fly at some point.
NextG Films is aboard to finance and co-produce the movie alongside Latigo Films.
Written by ‘Bad Boys’ veteran scribe George Gallo and Oscar-winning ‘Green Book’ writer/producer Nick Vallelonga, ‘Gambino’ follows Cage’s Carlo Gambino, a butcher’s son from Sicily, who ruled New York’s underworld with quiet authority. But when his death sends shockwaves through the city, Pulitzer-winning journalist Jimmy Breslin follows the trail he left beface-pffhind to uncover the man beneath the legend.
You want an official synopsis? Here’s ya official synopsis: “Through the voices of those who loved him and those who feared him, Breslin peels back the composure that masked Gambino’s ruthlessness, revealing how this outsider rose to redefine power, loyalty, and the American dream.”
Is another ‘Face/Off’ movie in the, er, offing?
Nicolas Cage in ‘Face/Off’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Despite fan demands for a follow-up, things have been relative quiet on a potential direct sequel to the original Cage/Travolta action movie.
There has been chatter about a remake, but in 2021, ‘The Guest’ director Adam Wingard announced he was attached to a follow-up.
Perhaps a reunion of Cage and Woo could give them both the impetus to get to work on an official sequel?
When will ‘Gambino’ be in theaters?
The movie is still at the “rights for sale” stage of development and pre-production, with WME Independent launching promotion of the enticing package at this year’s American Film Market.
Director John Woo on the set of ‘The Killer’. Photo: Peacock.
(Left) Nicolas Cage stars in ‘The Surfer’. Photo: Saturn Films. (Center) Alice Eve in ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’. Photo: Paramount Pictures. (Right) Sir Ben Kingsley in ‘The Thursday Murder Club’, which will launch on 28th August 2025 exclusively on Netflix. Photo: Netflix.
Preview:
Nicolas Cage, Ben Kingsley and Alice Eve are in the cast of ‘Fortitude’.
It’s an espionage action-adventure set during World War II.
Simon West is directing.
The cameras for the movie are already rolling, but World War II-set espionage action-adventure ‘Fortitude’ just announced, via Deadline, the sort of sprawling ensemble you’d have trouble listing in one breath.
Written by Simon Afram, the movie is based on the true story of British Intelligence operatives using unprecedented strategic operations to fool Nazi leadership and help change the course of World War II.
With historical consultation from Joshua Levine (‘Dunkirk’), the film follows the brilliance of British Army officers Dudley Clarke and Thomas Argyll “Tar” Robertson, who deployed an elaborate web of deception campaigns including fictitious armies, fake military equipment and a network of double agents to mislead Nazi Intelligence. Among them was Yugoslavian playboy Dusko Popov, a real-life double agent who is said to have inspired Ian Fleming’s James Bond character.
Who else is in ‘Fortitude’?
Sir Ben Kingsley in ‘The Killer’s Game’. Photo: Lionsgate.
“We are excited to bring together such a remarkable ensemble. Their chemistry and depth, paired with West’s direction, elevate this story into something truly gripping and unforgettable.”
The cameras started cranking earlier this month in London.
When will ‘Fortitude’ be in theaters?
Since this is more of an indie project, it’ll likely be putting its rights up for sale at film markets. And given that cast, we don’t imagine it’ll have too much trouble finding a home, but until then, a release date is lurking some way in the distance.
Now, according to The InSneider, Nicolas Cage could become the latest award-winning movie star to play the main role, this time for the fifth season of the crime series.
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With Issa López, who ran the successful fourth season –– which saw Foster’s grizzled cop dealing with a mysterious murder in the frozen wastes of Alaska –– back to run the show, we’ll have to wait and see whether Cage actually ends up starring.
Created by Nic Pizzolatto, the first ‘True Detective’ season saw McConaughey and Harrelson as cops tackling a murder that had cult ties in the south Louisiana bayous and backroads, while the second took place in the fictional city of Vinci, California, where detectives from three different police departments investigating a death tied to corrupt politicians and a powerful businessman.
That season starred Farrell, Rachel McAdams and Vince Vaughn, but didn’t meet the same critical reception.
Things were a little better for Season 3, which saw Mahershala Ali as detective Wayne Hays, investigating a crime involving missing children that spans three decades.
And the fourth, which saw Lopez taking over the reins and Foster joined by the likes of Kali Reis, Christopher Eccleston, Fiona Shaw and John Hawkes for the frosty mystery set as Alaska plunges into a long period of darkness, has been scoring awards all over the place.
Exact plot details for the fifth have yet to be specified. If he does take the role, chances are Cage will be a police officer, but we could also see him playing a criminal.
Where else can we see Nicolas Cage?
‘Nicolas Cage’ (Nicolas Cage) greets ‘Javi Gutierrez’ with a ‘Palm Hold Fist’ salute as he arrives in Mallorca, Spain. Photo Credit: Katalin Vermes/Lionsgate.
Cage was last seen in Western pic ‘Gunslingers’ and has a few projects in the way.
He’s playing NFL legend John Madden in the movie about part of his career, which is now shooting.
There’s also satirical drama ‘The Prince’, and while he’ll be heard as Spider-Noir in ‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’ (due in 2027), he’s also playing the live-action version of the character for a series that will hit next year.
When will ‘True Detective’ Season 5 be on screens?
While HBO has not yet set a premiere date, the show is expected to return in 2027.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with the legendary Nicolas Cage about his work on ‘The Surfer’, his first reaction to the screenplay, his approach to his complicated character, and working with director Lorcan Finnegan on set.
You can read our full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Cage and director Lorcan Finnegan.
Nicolas Cage stars in ‘The Surfer’. Photo: Saturn Films.
Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about your first reaction to the screenplay and what were some of the aspects of this character that you were excited to explore on screen?
Nicolas Cage: The first response I had when I read the script was, I love the title, ‘The Surfer’. I just love the idea of playing a surfer, any surfer. But second, when I read the script, I thought, this is not like anything I’ve read before. This is weird. This is unusual. This is the kind of story I aspire to write. If I were a writer, I would want to write something like this. So, I knew then that it would be genuine and an honest expression from me, if I played the part. A mantra of mine is that if you scratched the surface of anybody, man or woman long enough, you would eventually reach the inner caveman element. You see the character being scratched, you see the onion layer is getting peeled off and what happens ultimately happens. Then the relevance of the human condition, that we think we can fix things with a house, or we think we can fix things by getting back to our childhood memory or trying to reclaim that memory. I can fix my relationship with my ex-wife, or I can fix my relationship with my teenage son if I just work hard enough and get this house and it’s of course, misguided and ill-advised and it doesn’t work. That’s a story I think people can relate to.
Nicolas Cage stars in ‘The Surfer’. Photo: Saturn Films.
MF: Your character is basically having a mental breakdown throughout the movie. As an actor, is it physically or emotionally draining to go to those places on screen?
NC: Well, you know, what’s interesting is the short answer is no. It’s not emotionally and physically draining. I’ll tell you why, because I’m working with people I like, and I like this director as a person, and I like him as a filmmaker. I like Julian (McMahon) as a person. I like him as an actor, and it goes all the way down the line. I like being with these folks and I enjoyed the location, it was a gorgeous location. I mean, baby humpback whales were pounding the water with their big white flippers. So, I felt comfortable enough to explore what I wanted to get to. In terms of what was horrific and what was uncomfortable, it’s all up here. I mean, I have that tucked away in my mind and without boring you to as how I access it, I can get there. It’s easier to get there if you have people that you like working for.
Director Lorcan Finnegan on the set of ‘The Surfer’. Photo: Saturn Films.
MF: Finally, what did you like about working with Lorcan Finnegan and what is he like to collaborate with as a director on set?
NC: I mean it sounds so trite, but first, he’s a nice guy and that’s important. Second, and part of why I think he’s a singular director is that he’s hilarious. When I was doing the scene with the phone, and it’s not attached, the phone cord is dangling. I was like, “I need the prop phone.” Lorcan would find it and say, “It’s for you,” and he handed it to me. I couldn’t stop laughing. That kind of wit that kind of timing is in his work. It’s in his movies. So, he’s a director that like David Lynch is not afraid to take you right into the depths of chaos and horror yet infuse it with that which is comedic. I love that balance. That mix is delicious in my view. I love it.
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What is the plot of ‘The Surfer’?
A man (Nicolas Cage) returns to the idyllic beach of his childhood to surf with his son. When he is humiliated by a group of locals, the man is drawn into a conflict that keeps rising and pushes him to his breaking point.
With a script by Russell (based on earlier work from Cambron Clark), the exact details of what ‘Madden’ will cover remain a little indistinct at the moment.
But there is certainly a lot to choose from. Madden was a star player in high school, and was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1958, only for injury to curtail his rookie season.
Instead, he went on to earn a degree in teaching and put his skills/experience to good use as a coach, going on to lead the Oakland Raiders to the Super Bowl and a win in 1977.
Madden became known as one of the best coaches in the sport’s history, but his all-consuming passion and commitment wore on him, and he retired for health reasons.
Still, a hugely successful second chapter dawned as courted by the fledgling gaming company Electronic Arts to be the front man for its Madden NFL multi-player video game. Madden had never played a video game, but it turned into an outlet where he could lend his knowledge and help the masses better understand the gridiron.
The game has long been a sensation –– even with its inspiration dying in 2021, it continues to this day as a favorite of players and fans.
And beyond even that, Madden also became famous as a beloved commentator on the game he loved so much, his enthusiasm pouring from the screen, and his habit of scribbling on the screen making him a firm favorite among viewers.
Who are the new recruits playing?
John Mulaney in ‘John Mulaney: Baby J’ Photo: Netflix.
Bale is playing late Raiders owner Al Davis, while Mulaney has the role of Trip Hawkins, who founded EA Sports and was a driving force in behind the Madden NFL video games.
Hahn will be Madden’s wife, Virginia; and Miller is on board to be Davis’ wife, Carol.
With the casting process in full swing, Russell is preparing to start shooting next month in Atlanta.
Here’s what Russell said about the casting news in a statement:
“Nicolas Cage, one of our greatest and most original actors, will portray the best of the American spirit of originality, fun, and determination in which anything is possible as beloved national legend John Madden. Together with the ferocious style, focus, and inspired individualism of Al Davis, owner of the underdog Oakland Raiders, the feature will be about the joy, humanity and genius that was John Madden in a wildly inventive, cool world of the 1970s.”
Russell himself is something of a controversial figure, his successful directing career also marked by criticisms of his attitude to women and other groups. He’s also been known for his mercurial behavior on set, infamously clashing with George Clooney on ‘Three Kings’ and Lily Tomlin on ‘I Heart Huckabees‘.
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Bale, of course, clearly has no such issues, since he has worked with the director several times before, on ‘Amsterdam,’ ‘American Hustle’ and ‘The Fighter,’ which won him his first Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
Where else have we seen Kathryn Hahn, John Mulaney and Sienna Miller?
(L to R) Kathryn Hahn and Chase Sui Wonders in ‘The Studio,’ premiering March 26, 2025 on Apple TV+.
Hahn has been busy lately with Disney+ and Marvel series ‘Agatha All Along,’ which has played well since it premiered in the fall. She can also be seen in the Apple TV+ series ‘The Studio,’ which has been a success for that streaming service.
On the movie front, she lent her voice to animated canine comedy ‘Fixed,’ directed by Genndy Tartakovsky, which has been in limbo until it was picked up by Netflix for release in August.
He’s also a voice (and a producer) on animated coming-of-age comedy series ‘Big Mouth‘, which launches its final season on Netflix on May 23rd. ‘Madden’ marks one of his rare forays into bigger movie roles.
As for Miller, she was most recently seen in Kevin Costner’s Western ‘Horizon: An American Saga’ and assuming the second part moseys its way to theaters after the box office stumble of the first, she’ll be back in her role as Frances Kittredge.
Coming up, she’s back as Cathy Ryan for the ‘Jack Ryan’ movie, based on the John Krasinski-starring series that has been shooting and will likely be in theaters next year.
When will the new David O. Russell/Nicolas Cage movie ‘Madden’ be in theaters?
Amazon/MGM Studios is backing the drama, but it has yet to schedule a release date.
Nicolas Cage is playing John Madden in a new movie called ‘Madden’.
David O. Russell wrote the script and will direct.
It’ll follow Madden from his 1970s days and beyond.
Nicolas Cage is on a bit of a hot streak at the moment. Between showing some serious self-awareness (and self-deprecation) for ‘The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent’ and logging some of the best performances of his recent career in the likes of ‘Pig’, ‘Dream Scenario’ and this year’s creepy winner ‘Longlegs’, he’s putting in the work.
And a new movie will offer a fresh, considerable challenge: Cage will play real life NFL icon John Madden for director David O. Russell in ‘Madden’.
With a script by Russell (based on earlier work from Cambron Clark), the exact details of what ‘Madden’ will cover remain a little indistinct at the moment.
But there is certainly a lot to choose from. Madden was a star player in high school, and was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1958, only for injury to curtail his rookie season.
Instead, he went on to earn a degree in teaching and put his skills/experience to good use as a coach, going on to lead the Oakland Raiders to the Super Bowl and a win in 1977.
Madden became known as one of the best coaches in the sport’s history, but his all-consuming passion and commitment wore on him, and he retired for health reasons.
Still, a hugely successful second chapter dawned as courted by the fledgling gaming company Electronic Arts to be the front man for its Madden NFL multi-player video game. Madden had never played a video game, but it turned into an outlet where he could lend his knowledge and help the masses better understand the gridiron.
The game has long been a sensation –– even with its inspiration dying in 2021, it continues to this day as a favorite of players and fans.
And beyond even that, Madden also became famous as a beloved commentator on the game he loved so much, his enthusiasm pouring from the screen, and his habit of scribbling on the screen making him a firm favorite among viewers.
Here’s what Russell said about the casting news in a statement:
“Nicolas Cage, one of our greatest and most original actors, will portray the best of the American spirit of originality, fun, and determination in which anything is possible as beloved national legend John Madden. Together with the ferocious style, focus, and inspired individualism of Al Davis, owner of the underdog Oakland Raiders, the feature will be about the joy, humanity and genius that was John Madden in a wildly inventive, cool world of the 1970s.”
Russell himself is something of a controversial figure, his successful directing career also marked by criticisms of his attitude to women and other groups. He’s also been known for his mercurial behavior on set, infamously clashing with George Clooney on ‘Three Kings’.
It left such a mark on the actor that even now he won’t work with Russell, commenting in a recent interview:
“It’s not just like, ‘Oh, I’m going to go do a really good film, like ‘Three Kings’, and I’m going to have a miserable f*** like David O Russell making my life hell. Making every person in the crew’s life hell.’ ”
Let’s hope Cage has a better time of it.
When will the new David O. Russell/Nicolas Cage movie ‘Madden’ be in theaters?
Amazon/MGM Studios is backing the drama, but it has yet to receive a release date.
‘Nicolas Cage’ (Nicolas Cage) greets ‘Javi Gutierrez’ with a ‘Palm Hold Fist’ salute as he arrives in Mallorca, Spain. Photo Credit: Katalin Vermes/Lionsgate.
And now, talking to Collider, he’s opening up about one that got away: Nicolas Cage. The actor played Johnny Blaze, AKA Ghost Rider, the stunt driver-turned-demonic vigilante in two Marvel movies produced by Sony, the 2007 original, simply called ‘Ghost Rider’ and 2011 follow-up ‘Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance’.
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Neither exactly wowed the crowds, but he’d surely have been another perfect nod to Marvel movies gone by. Not to mention how much fun Reynolds’ Wade Wilson could have had at the expense of the flaming-skulled warrior. Sadly, it was not to be.
What happened with Nic Cage and the Ghost Rider cameo?
Nicolas Cage in 2007’s ‘Ghost Rider’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
As Reynolds admits, the idea for Cage to return as Blaze got as far as them discussing it.
Here’s what Reynolds said about it:
“Yes. Came to a conversation for sure. Yeah, but no.”
So there you have it. No Cage for ‘Deadpool & Wolverine.’ Which feels like a missed opportunity, but you can imagine Cage having doubts about digging into that particular chunk of his cinematic past, no matter how much he seemingly enjoyed playing Johnny Blaze. And how willing he has been to poke fun at himself in the past, particularly via 2022’s ‘The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent’. Cage’s AI-fueled appearance as Superman in ‘The Flash‘ may have also left a bad taste in his mouth regarding reprising his role in cameo in another legacy superhero movie.
Who else didn’t make it in ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’?
Patrick Stewart as Professor Charles Xavier in ‘X2’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
It wasn’t just Cage who didn’t end up in the movie. According to ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’s co-writer and director, Shawn Levy, the character of Professor Charles Xavier, played on screen by Patrick Stewart and later James McAvoy was never seriously considered.
“Never even discussed. He was studied. Studied by Emma Corrin big time because the Cassandra sibling-hood to Professor X is really interesting to us. But no, never discussed. Never, never considered.”
Yes, Xavier is indeed the brother of Emma Corrin’s powerful mutant Cassandra Nova, who is the film’s chief antagonist. But it appears there were never plans for either Stewart (who reprised the Xavier role in a cameo for ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness‘) or McAvoy to show up, even given the Stewart version’s warm connection to Jackman’s Wolverine.
Still, both Stewart and McAvoy feature in the clip montage that provides an epilogue to the 20th Century Fox Marvel movie universe playing during part of the end credits.
What has Channing Tatum said about a Gambit movie?
Channing Tatum at the Los Angeles premiere of ‘Blink Twice’. Photo Credit: JC Olivera.
One person who most definitely shows up as a cameo is Channing Tatum, finally getting the chance to play fellow mutant Gambit, after his character’s movie was lost in development limbo when Disney bought Fox.
Talking at the premiere for new thriller ‘Blink Twice’, he expressed hope he might one day still get a stand-alone movie.
“I sure hope so. From your mouth to God’s ears. Write it into existence, Please. I’ve been saying I want it for the last 10 years. It’s in Bob Iger and Kevin Feige’s hands. I pray to God.”
Maybe he should be praying to Marvel Jesus instead?
What’s happening with ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’?
The superhero buddy comedy continues to soar at the box office and is expected to win the weekend once more on its way across the $1 billion mark.
The cast of ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ at San Diego Comic-Con 2024. Photo: Marvel Studios.
Other Movies and TV Shows Similar to ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’:
‘Spider-Noir’ is adding Lamorne Norris and Brendan Gleeson to its cast.
The live-action series will star Nicolas Cage as the Spider-Man Noir character.
Oren Uziel and Steve Lightfoot will run the show.
Marvel and Sony have had joint success with the most recent ‘Spider-Man’ live-action movie trilogy and the latter is seeing great results via the ‘Spider-Verse’ animated outings.
Yet Amazon’s attempts to jump on the spider-wagon has been less successful so far –– the ‘Silk: Spider Society’ series it had in the works was scrapped in May.
(Left) Nicolas Cage (“Nick Cage”) contemplates his career while poolside in Mallorca, Spain in ‘The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.’ Photo credit: Katalin Vermes/Lionsgate. (Right) Nicolas Cage as Peter Parker / Spider-Man Noir in ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.’ Photo: Sony Pictures.
While the character (voiced by Cage) appeared in ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ (and briefly at the end of (‘Across the Spider-Verse’, pointing to more in the next film, ‘Beyond the Spider-Verse’), ‘Spider-Noir’ will be its own, live-action take on the grizzled hero.
The official logline for the show fills in a little more detail: it’ll follow the story of an aging and down on his luck private investigator in 1930s New York, who is forced to grapple with his past life as the city’s one and only superhero.
Marvel Comis Robbie Robertson. Photo: Marvel Comics.
Morris’ character is described as: “Driven, hard-working, and won’t take no for an answer. A dedicated journalist trying to make it with the odds stacked against him as a black professional in 1930s New York. He takes on riskier stories that no one else would touch in order to catch attention and a paycheck. He is willing to do whatever is necessary for his career.”
Who is working on ‘Spider-Noir’?
2018’s ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.’ Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
Oren Uziel and Steve Lightfoot, who will also serve as co-showrunners and executive producers. They developed the series with the ‘Spider-Verse’ team of Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Amy Pascal, all of whom will also executive produce.
‘Enola Holmes’ director Harry Bradbeer will be an executive producer and handle the first two episodes.
Vernon Sanders, head of television for Amazon MGM Studios said this about the new show:
“Expanding the Marvel universe with ‘Noir’ is a uniquely special opportunity and we are honored to bring this series to our global Prime Video customers. The extremely talented Nicolas Cage is an ideal choice for our new superhero and the accomplished producing team with Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Amy Pascal, and the incredible team at Sony is dedicated to expanding this franchise in the most authentic way.”
When will ‘Spider-Noir’ be on screens?
There is no official date set for ‘Spider-Noir’ yet, though we do know it’ll premiere on MGM+ linear channel and then on Prime Video.
2018’s ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.’ Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
Writer-director Osgood Perkins has staked out his own personal corner of the horror genre with his first three films, merging elements of fantasy, fairy tales, and the Gothic into the feverish narratives of ‘The Blackcoat’s Daughter,’ ‘I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House,’ and ‘Gretel & Hansel.’ His unsettling new film, ‘Longlegs,’ still has some of that fairy tale flavor: its protagonist lives in a log cabin in the woods and some of the action centers around a mother and daughter living in a remote house like two characters out of the Brothers Grimm.
But ‘Longlegs’ also channels the Satanic Panic horror movies of the 1970s (more effectively, perhaps, than Ti West does with the films of the ‘80s in ‘MaXXXine’), as well as more recent psychological mind-benders like ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ and the underseen Japanese shocker ‘Cure,’ while giving us less of a fractured fairy tale and more of a waking nightmare. Set in rural 1990s locales that seem both drained of life and susceptible to sudden, ugly violence, while featuring a performance from Nicolas Cage that worms its way into your brain, ‘Longlegs’ is perhaps not outright scary – but genuinely unnerving.
Story and Direction
(L to R) Cinematographer Andrés Arochi and director Osgood Perkins on the set of ‘Longlegs’. Photo: Neon.
10 families die under frighteningly similar circumstances over 30 years: a seemingly normal, family-values dad gruesomely slaughters his wife and family before killing himself. Two clues tie the scenes together: at each is left a card written in Zodiac-like ciphers from a person calling themselves ‘Longlegs,’ and each family has a daughter whose birthday falls on the 14th of that month. But there is no indication – indeed no evidence at all – that Longlegs physically participates in the crimes.
Enter socially awkward, super-repressed FBI Special Agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe), whose seeming flashes of intuition – or perhaps something more paranormal – about serial killings gets her assigned to the case while also marking her as a cross between Clarice Starling from ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ and Will Graham of ‘Red Dragon/Manhunter.’ Overseeing her is Special Agent Carter (Blair Underwood), a decent family man with whom she strikes up a mentor/mentee relationship. The case quickly turns personal for Lee when Longlegs leaves one of his cards at her house, as the clock ticks down toward the 14th of the month when another slaughter is all but assured.
Blair Underwood in ‘Longlegs’. Photo: Neon.
That’s all we’ll say about the plot of ‘Longlegs,’ save for the fact that the movie is less about the narrative and more about the creeping, oozing sense of dread that permeates every frame, whether it’s the widescreen present-day shots that make the viewer acutely uncomfortable about all that empty space encroaching on the characters, or the square-framed, faded, home movie-style flashbacks that become ever more claustrophobic. Perkins also lets sound designer Eugenio Battaglia rip with a mosaic of static-haunted phone lines, strange thumps and creaks, and random scratching noises, occasionally punctuated by a rock song.
The end result of all this is a constant feeling that something is way, way off, that the movie is observing its characters as if they’re trapped in a dream and don’t know it, all while ominous forces build up just outside their – and our – line of sight. When the revelations about what it all means do come in the third act, explained as if in a fairy tale, they come a little too thick and fast, stretching credibility and perhaps not quite living up to the sense of malevolence that preceded them. But Perkins also leaves the film just open-ended enough at the end to let the viewer walk out feeling off-balance and still unsettled.
The Cast
Maika Monroe in ‘Longlegs’. Photo: Neon.
Maika Monroe has become something of a genre queen thanks to her roles in films like ‘The Guest,’ ‘Watcher,’ and of course her breakthrough horror outing ‘It Follows.’ As Lee Harker, she’s clearly paying homage to Jodie Foster’s Clarice Starling, right down to the color of her hair and her dynamic with Blair Underwood’s empathetic Agent Carter. But Harker is more repressed and unable to interact normally with people than Clarice ever was; she can barely make small talk with a little girl who’s clearly impressed with her FBI credentials. Monroe ably portrays a woman who is driven to succeed as a law enforcement agent while not quite able to leave her childhood behind or understand her full talents.
(L to R) Lauren Acala and Alicia Witt in ‘Longlegs’. Photo: Neon.
A lot of this becomes clearer when we meet Ruth, Harker’s mother, played by a startling (and underseen in recent years) Alicia Witt. Her hair long and flat, her expression both wide-eyed and vacant, Ruth drifts through her crammed hoarder house like a ghost, repeatedly telling Lee to say her prayers because they “protect us from the Devil.” Witt is excellent, with she and Monroe developing a credibly sympathetic yet clearly damaged mother-daughter relationship that gets more layers peeled away as the film progresses.
(L to R) Maika Monroe and Nicolas Cage in ‘Longlegs’. Photo: Neon.
And then there’s Nicolas Cage as Longlegs. The film almost sets up expectations by telling you in the opening credits that he’s playing the title role, and Cage – in his own distinctive way – doesn’t disappoint. His own hair colorless and stringy, his face buried in prosthetics and pale white makeup, Cage is like a bizarre cross between Jame Gumb and Pennywise. His voice climbing into higher pitches as he speaks, bursting either into song or a cackling laugh, and his hands continually framing his own face with seemingly a will of their own, Cage’s Longlegs is a highly original creation. The fact that Cage is more or less acting in his own movie only makes his appearances in the film more dream-like and surreal. Best of all, Perkins knows that the best horror is left unexplained: while Longlegs’ own scheme does get eventually revealed, we are thankfully left without a tiresome backstory of how he got there. He just exists.
Final Thoughts
Lauren Acala in ‘Longlegs’. Photo: Neon.
With his four efforts to date, Osgood Perkins has clearly shown a passion for and knowledge of horror that puts him at the forefront of the current crop of genre filmmakers. He has yet to make a truly great horror film, but his work shows ambition even with its flaws and sticking points (next for him is an adaptation – his first – of the Stephen King story ‘The Monkey’).
‘Longlegs’ may be his best-realized creation to date, and even as it references other films and eras, it remixes them into something weird, personal, and original. It’s not the scariest movie ever made (as some advance hype has ludicrously suggested) and it doesn’t pay off as successfully as we’d like, but the nightmarish ‘Longlegs’ will still have you looking over your shoulder, into the dark spaces where repressed memories, religious mania, and the otherworldly all meet.
‘Longlegs’ receives 7.5 out of 10 stars.
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What is the plot of ‘Longlegs’?
In the 1990s, new FBI agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) was assigned to an unsolved case involving the Satanic serial killer known as Longlegs (Nicolas Cage). As the investigation becomes more complicated with occult evidence uncovered, Harker realizes a personal link to the killer and must act quickly to prevent another family murder.
(L to R) Director Osgood Perkins and Maika Monroe talk ‘Longlegs’.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with director Osgood Perkins and Maika Monroe about their work on ‘Longlegs’, developing the screenplay, Monroe’s approach to her character and what audiences can expect from the new movie.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above and watch our interviews with Osgood, Monroe, Alicia Witt and Blair Underwood.
Maika Monroe in ‘Longlegs’. Photo: Neon.
Moviefone: To begin with, Maika, what would you say to an audience sitting down right now to watch this movie to prepare them for the theatrical experience the are about to have?
Maika Monroe: Good luck out there.
(L to R) Cinematographer Andrés Arochi and director Osgood Perkins on the set of ‘Longlegs’. Photo: Neon.
MF: Osgood, what would you say to prepare an audience for this theatrical experience?
Osgood Perkins: Have a good time. It’s meant to be an enjoyable experience. I know that people have been freaked out and panicked by this movie, but I really thought I was making something fun.
Maika Monroe in ‘Longlegs’. Photo: Neon.
MF: Maika, can you talk about your approach to playing Lee and the challenges of playing a character as layered as she is?
MM: I mean Lee is very different from me, from who I am, and I thought that that would be a very interesting challenge, sort of removing myself completely from this role. But I think I began with sort of going back. Going back to her childhood, I think that that is very telling. She obviously went through some very severe trauma, and I think that’s kind of what makes her who she is and how she goes through the world. Then, I think a lot was figured out on set. One of the first days we were filming was the scene with my partner. We were meant to go out and knock on doors, but we found the way that she walked and moved and the awkwardness.
(L to R) Director Osgood Perkins and Maika Monroe on the set of ‘Longlegs’. Photo: Neon.
MF: Finally, Osgood, can you talk about developing the screenplay and the themes that you wanted to explore as a filmmaker?
OP: Well, the central idea is that parents tell lies and stories to their children. That parents oversee the perception of a child and what a delicate responsibility that is. Sometimes looking to protect the child, a story can be written, a cover story can be put up, a scaffolding can be built. That was what the movie was about for me. Then it just became honestly kind of a cheeky trick of, well, how do I get into a movie in a way that people are going to want to follow where I’m going? So, using ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ as just this recognizable touch tone that you know, “It’s a woman detective, she’s out of her element, and there’s a killer that they can’t find.” So, I think that the idea was to really sort of tenderize the audiences’ consciousness and awareness and readiness for a thing that they thought it was going to be and then of course, it’s not that.
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What is the plot of ‘Longlegs’?
In the 1990s, new FBI agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) was assigned to an unsolved case involving the Satanic serial killer known as Longlegs (Nicolas Cage). As the investigation becomes more complicated with occult evidence uncovered, Harker realizes a personal link to the killer and must act quickly to prevent another family murder.
