Austin, Paramount, March 12, 2022

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is a 2022 American black comedy action film directed by Tom Gormican from a screenplay co-written with Kevin Etten. It stars Nicolas Cage as a fictionalized version of himself, along with a supporting cast that includes Pedro Pascal, Sharon Horgan, Ike Barinholtz, Alessandra Mastronardi, Jacob Scipio, Neil Patrick Harris, and Tiffany Haddish. The film premiered today at the South by Southwest film festival at the Paramount Theatre. It is scheduled to be released in the United States on April 22, 2022, by Lionsgate.

In The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, actor Nicolas Cage plays a fictionalized version of himself who he said bears little resemblance to his real offscreen personality. Nicolas Cage originally turned down the role three or four times but changed his mind after writer-director Tom Gormican wrote him a personal letter. On November 15, 2019, Lionsgate acquired the production rights. In August 2020, Pedro Pascal entered negotations to star. In September 2020, Sharon Horgan and Tiffany Haddish joined the cast, with Lily Sheen being added in October. In November 2020, Neil Patrick Harris joined the cast of the film. Principal photography began on October 5 in areas around Croatia, including the city of Dubrovnik. Mark Isham composed the musical score.

The real Nicolas Cage is nothing less than a screen legend whose landmark pictures include The Rock, Face/Off, Con Air, Moonstruck, Honeymoon in Vegas, and an Academy Award®-winning turn in Leaving Las Vegas. Now, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent builds upon that renowned work, while turning it upside-down, inside-out, and every which way.

“Nicolas Cage is unbelievably talented and can do any genre,” says Gormican. “You’ve seen him in romantic comedies like Moonstruck, comedies like The Family Man, avant-garde films like Mandy and Wild at Heart, and even big tentpole franchise movies like Con Air, Face/Off, and National Treasure. There are very few actors that can do every genre equally well, who can switch from comedy to drama – sometimes within the same project – and that’s fascinating to me.”

But why imagine an alternative existence for this Hollywood legend? “Nick has become something that transcends being an actor,” says Gormican. “He’s become a cultural figure. As culture gets stranger and stranger and fashion choices get more outlandish, you can trace like a direct line back to the patron saint of strangeness, Nicolas Cage. Just seeing his face makes people happy. That’s really interesting and made me want to dig in further and find out who he actually is.”

In the movie, “Nick Cage” is a fictionalized version of the star, imagined as a once-highly respected actor who has fallen on hard times and is craving a return to box-office glory and prestige. But his waning career is only one of his problems. The faux Cage’s megalomania has poisoned his relationships with his ex-wife Olivia (Sharon Horgan) and daughter Addy (Lily Sheen), though he can’t see it. And Nick is haunted by a shadow – “Nicky,” also played by Cage, is a figment of the actor’s considerable imagination who bellows for a single-minded focus on movie stardom. “Nicky has this lanky long hair, and he’s riding Nick about his career choices,” says Cage. “For me, Nicky steals the show.”

Synopsis :
Nicolas Cage is now an indebted actor waiting for the big role that will revive his career. To pay off some of his debts, his agent suggests he attend the birthday party of a dangerous billionaire who turns out to be his biggest fan. But the trip takes a completely different turn when the CIA contacts him, asking him to investigate the criminal activities of his host. Nicolas Cage will have to play the role of his life and prove that he is worthy of his own legend.

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
Directed by Tom Gormican
Written by Tom Gormican, Kevin Etten
Produced by Nicolas Cage, Mike Nilon, Kristin Burr, Kevin Turen
Starring Nicolas Cage, Pedro Pascal, Sharon Horgan, Ike Barinholtz, Alessandra Mastronardi, Jacob Scipio, Neil Patrick Harris, Tiffany Haddish
Cinematography : Nigel Bluck
Edited by Melissa Bretherton
Music by Mark Isham
Production companies : Saturn Films, Burr! Productions
Distributed by Lionsgate
Release dates : March 12, 2022 (SXSW), April 20,2022 (France), April 22, 2022 (United States)
Running time : 93 minutes

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent,Tom Gormican,Kevin Etten,Nicolas Cage,Mike Nilon,Kristin Burr,Kevin Turen,Pedro Pascal,Sharon Horgan,Ike Barinholtz,Alessandra Mastronardi,Jacob Scipio,Neil Patrick Harris,Tiffany Haddish,Nigel Bluck,Melissa Bretherton,Mark Isham,Saturn Films,Burr! Productions,Lionsgate,Metropolitan FilmExport