Is Nicolas Cage headlining a film that could potentially be the next “Interview”?
The infamously prolific Oscar winner is reportedly in talks to star in an international comedy with a potentially provocative premise, to be directed by “Borat” filmmaker Larry Charles. Cage would play an ordinary man who decides to launch a one-man hunt for Osama bin Laden.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, “Army of One” will be released by Endgame Entertainment and Conde Nast Entertainment and has been linked to the powerhouse producing brothers Harvey and Bob Weinstein. The film is said to be loosely based on a GQ magazine profile of Chris Heath, a Colorado construction worker who reportedly tried to sneak into Afgahnistan and Pakistan numerous times in an attempt to ferret out the now-deceased al Qaeda terrorist.
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“This is an incredibly talented group of filmmakers and we are looking forward to working with them to bring this fascinating story from GQ to life,” said Conde Nast Entertainment president Dawn Ostroff in a statement.
The film, which will begin shooting in March and is still in the scripting stages, is reminiscent of the controversial recent comedy “The Interview,” which portrays the assassination of North Korean dictator Kim Jung Un and allegedly provoked hackers from that country to target the studio that released the film, Sony, for an invasive breach which revealed embarrassing personal exchanges and private information of the company’s employees, executives and more.
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In the wake of the controversy over that film, Sony initially planned to withhold it from release, but after an ensuing backlash that saw even President Obama calling on the studio to reconsider its decision, they rolled out the “The Interview” in limited release and on streaming services. Sony announced on Jan. 20 that from Dec. 24, 2014 through Jan. 18, 2015, “The Interview” has been purchased or rented more than 5.8 million times which amounts to $40 million in consumer sales.
“We always said that we would get the movie to the greatest audience possible,” said Michael Lynton, CEO of Sony Entertainment. “Achieving over $40 million in digital sales is a significant milestone.”
“The Interview” reportedly cost roughly $40 million to produce. It has grossed just $6 million to dateat the box office. The movie will be available to stream for free starting Saturday on Netflix; Sony announced Wednesday it will soon be streaming free on Crackle as well.
Meanwhile, the New York Post reports that more leaks of Sony data may be on the way, with their music division being the new target for hackers. According to the Post, Lynton has already called for a preemptive “blanket apology” in anticipation of what the new leaks may reveal.
Adam Howard