With “Ghost Rider” a hit around the world, Cage looks to spooky pics Tantatino’s “Grindhouse” “National Treasure II” and psychic thriller “Next”
By Courtney Lear

More mystical roles for Cage as ‘Rider’ rolls No. 1 worldwide

LONDON (Hollywood Today) 3/6/07 — Nicolas Cage says he’ll scare up more spooky heroes as “Ghost Rider” rolls into third week at No. 1 slot internationally.

Cage’s fiery comic book action film about the devil’s bounty hunter is about to hit the $100 million mark in the U.S., and its weekend international take of $16.3 million brings worldwide grosses to $155 million.

The film from Academy Award winner Nicolas Cage, well known for his dramatic roles, marks a matinee detour in his repertoire with his next three projects following in the same vein: Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez’s highly anticipated horror homage picture “Grindhouse,” National Treasure II” and psychic thriller “Next.” But, as the numbers show, moviegoers are along for the ride.
“You have different styles and you can choose to be photo-realistic like ‘World Trade Center’ or you can be pop art illustrative. Why limit yourself to one style of acting, and especially when you look at Ghost Rider you see a comic book story structure which digs a little deeper,” said Cage.

“It’s fascinating to take those story structures and reintroduce people to it in a pop art contemporary manner and especially a comic book no less.”

Cage rolls from ‘Rider’ to ‘Grindhouse’ with zombie Tarantino

Cage’s comic book transfixion came much before he portrayed the Marvel character on the big screen. Golden Books had nothing on appeal of the colorful pages of the comic book fantasy worlds that Cage says helped him learn to read and to translate the world around him.

“I always thought that pop mythology was a way to sort out one’s issues while growing up and that’s what it did for me. It gave me a way to handle my childhood,” he said.

As a lifelong fan Cage wanted a way to bridge his science fiction fascination with his acting. “I like the old grand werewolf movies and I’ve always wanted to find a way to apply my acting in a big bad monster movie where I was transforming into this scary entity,” he said.

“Ghost Rider” finds Cage playing Johnny Blaze, a motorcycle stunt man who sells his soul to the devil in order to save his dying father to become the skull-aflame supernatural vigilante.

“I grew up watching B monster movies on TV. I wanted to capture the spirit of that kind of externalizing, that sort of abandon that these movies have. They don’t take themselves too seriously and they’re about fun,” Cage said.

On the Ghost Rider set Cage threw himself into his acting transformation, channeling the monster movie spirit.

“I had to go in that private place to come up with this imaginary belief that I was transforming into this monster,” he said.

“On the set I would try to imagine my character is covered in bugs and being eaten alive by ants and I would start screaming, ‘Monster movie, monster movie’ and feel like I was eight years old.”

With all the giddy gusto of a tween in stow, Cage had plenty of inspiration to realize his role. But the motivation didn’t end there.

Cage also had a real life hero on set with co-star Peter Fonda playing Mephistopheles, the devil character who gives Blaze immortality in order to do his bidding.

“Peter is the reason that I ride motorcycles. I saw Easy Rider and the next day I bought a Harley Davidson and went from L.A. to San Francisco and back to L.A. and became Captain America in my mind,” he said.
So when the studio decided to cast Fonda, Cage saw the character connection as obvious. “Who better to seduce a stunt cyclist to sell their soul than Captain America, Easy Rider himself,” he said.

Nic will play Ben Gates again in ‘National Treasure II’

Where else could Cage go after selling his soul to the devil for immortality and a flammable skull? A Rob Zombie inspired cameo as Fu Manchu and a soothsaying action hero seemed like logical steps. In his next two roles Cage continues his science fiction stint with an appearance in Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino’s upcoming double feature “Grindhouse” and a starring role in the psychic action thriller “Next.”

Cage actually doesn’t appear in either Tarantino’s “Death Proof” or Rodriguez’s “Planet Terror,” the main features in “Grindhouse.” Rather, he plays Fu Manchu in a faux trailer directed by Rob Zombie for a non-existent movie called “Werewolf Women of the SS,” played in between the features. Cage is careful to clarify that he doesn’t play a large part in the film but that his cameo was simply as a fun favor to long time friend Rob Zombie.

In Cage’s “Next” starring role he plays another hero, with the ability to see and change the future, not withholding car stunts and big explosives. While running from the FBI who want to use his ability to prevent a terrorist attack, he must simultaneously win the affections of the woman who will have his child. Slated for release April 27, the film, directed by Lee Tamahori is based on Philip K. Dick’s short story “The Golden Man,” and co-stars Jessica Biel and Julianne Moore.

Cage will also appear in the sequel to his biggest hit “National Treasure,” when he reprises his role as treasure hunter Benjamin Franklin Gates who seeks the truth behind the assassination of Abraham Lincoln by uncovering the mystery within the 18 pages missing from assassin John Wilkes Booth’s diary.

Even toting an Oscar, Cage has no trouble thinking outside of the box and deviating from his award-winning dramatic roles. Whether it’s to play a comic book hero or a quick appearance as a classic villain, he doesn’t take himself too seriously.

“It’s just a fun ride, a spooky ride, and I hope to see these movies get a little more attention at some point,” he said.