The mighty Nicolas Cage has always sought out a wide range of diverse, often bizarre roles, but the Academy Award-winner may have secured his most out-there gig yet.
According to Deadline (via SFFGazette.com), Cage is going to play a dragon in an upcoming Paramount+ series called Highfire.
The project is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Eoin Colfer, which focuses on Highfire, "a vodka-drinking, Flashdance-loving dragon who lives an isolated existence in the bayous of Louisiana.” The story is described as "a genre-bending, gritty crime-thriller with doses of magical realism."
Cage will provide the voice of the dragon, who will be brought to life via CGI. Davey Holmes (Get Shorty) is on board as showrunner, while Cage will also produce.
It's certainly an intriguing concept, and should be perfect fit for Cage. The iconic actor is coming off major critical acclaim for his lead role in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, and will soon grace the big screen as Dracula in Chris McKay's 2023 horror comedy, Renfield.
Check out a lengthier synopsis below for a better idea of what to expect.
"Once upon a time, dragons ruled the earth and Lord Highfire ruled the dragons from his eyrie. But this is not once upon a time, this is now, and now all Lord Highfire rules is his shack in Louisiana’s Honey Island Swamp. Highfire has become plain old ‘Vern’ and, by day, he hides out among the alligators, watches cable-TV and drinks obscene amounts of vodka to pass the time.
It isn’t much of a life but he’s alive to live it, and Vern is prepared do whatever it takes – even if its violent – to preserve his own hide. When Vern’s world collides with a human teen named Squib, who becomes mixed up in some trouble while running booze for the local mob, their mutual struggle for survival becomes entangled in the most unlikely of friendships."
What do you guys make of this? Anyone read the novel? Drop us a comment down below.