Nicolas Cage has been a well-known name in Hollywood for an impressive number of years. The notorious actor appears in a variety of films, some receiving more praise than others. Over a five-decade career, it’s no wonder Nicolas Cage is looking to return to his roots working on indie films.
Sadly, not all movies involving Nicolas Cage have received stellar reviews. As a result, the entertainment industry has seemingly marginalized the actor by his Hollywood flops.
Nicolas Cage was a household name at the box office from the 1980s through the mid-2000s. Many praise Cage for his ability to hop across different genres. He maintained his superstar status for many years until a few box office disappointments pushed him out of good graces with the big studios. For example, Cage remembers his last poorly reviewed studio film being Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. As a result, the star has acted in smaller films such as The Croods franchise and 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
Nicholas Cage opens up about his film experience
Cage spoke to Variety’s Award Circuit podcast about his experience working on indie films like Pig. When speaking about filmmaker Michael Sarnoski, Cage said:
“I call him Archangel Michael because I knew somewhere along the way after a couple of flops I had been marginalized in the studios’ system, and I wasn’t going to get invited by them. I always knew it would take a young filmmaker who would come back, remember some movies I had made, know that I might be right for his script, and rediscover me.”
Of course, there are plenty of die-hard Cage fans that still love and appreciate the Face/Off actor’s past work. Acting in indie films opens up a new platform for Nicolas Cage to showcase his unmatched talent. However, a few disappointing films did negatively affect Cage’s career and overall confidence. The actor opened up about his absence from Hollywood.
“By flops, I meant like Sorcerer’s Apprentice with Disney did not land. Or Drive Angry did not land. In retrospect, now it’s a fun movie, right? Even Ghost Rider, the second Ghost Rider, was my last studio film. It seemed like I was no longer on the studio radar, but I knew I could always go back to my indie radar. Which was and is still my roots. And I was just waiting, waiting for the right directors… I was always able to go back to these people who were still inviting me to the club.”
Although it appears Nicolas Cage may stay away from mainstream films for the foreseeable future, his talent is endless when it comes to the indie film world. In 2021, Nicolas Cage can be seen in three releases, including Prisoners of the Ghostland. And that’s not all. The actor has a few more big titles coming in 2022, including The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.