Remember that J.J. Abrams style Island
I spoke of last week that could imprison film-makers McG, Louis Leterrier, Brett Ratner and Len Wiseman so we wouldn't have to witness anymore of their movies? I've got two more to add.
Joel Schmaucher and actor
Nicolas Cage. In fact they both should have been residents on the Island many moons ago - Schmaucher after he made
Batman & Robin - Cage for everything he's done for the past five years, except his brief enjoyable turn in
Kick-Ass this year that won him a few months free pass from the Island. Cage, an absolute lunactic by any measure, has now decided he WILL star in Schmaucher's next movie (Not
Twelve, which nobody is going to see - his next, next movie)
Tresspass just days after he pulled out of the $35 million budgeted 'kidnapped couple thriller' that's less than two weeks away from shooting at Millenium. It's the kind of last minute bail that he's done many times in the past, leaving projects in limbo (The Wrestler, Green Hornet come to mind). Before he pulled out and fled to the Bahamas to get a tan, Cage lobbied hard to shift his innocent husband to
Nicole Kidman role - to instead play the lead villain kidnapper - which he was granted, and then seemingly decided he wanted out. Millenium Films got nervous and quickly offered the husband role to the second-rate
Liev Schreiber who didn't even have time to consider the offer before Cage decided he wanted to do the movie after all. Now Cage is back and in the husband role amazingly, presumably after he was often a further couple of million and the movie is a go-er again. Last we heard he was working for $7 million for but we wonder if it's closer to $10 million now. Fleming predicts Cage got himself flustered over what role to play (the kidnapper part probably would have allowed him to bring his usual craziness to the table) and sheer exhaustation from promoting
The Sorcerer's Apprentice around the world and the dissapointment that's it made no money.
Cam Gigandet is now set to play the villain kidnapper, and
Jordana Spiro his girlfriend who is drawn into the crime. Because of Cage's ego trip - the movie will now begin filming on August 30th in Louisiana, a delay of two weeks. Though given Cage and Schmaucher's track record... we pretty much expect Tresspass to be one of the worst movies of 2011. No, we really aren't kidding.