Nicolas Cage revealed the real reason why Disney didn’t go with National Treasure 3 in a recent interview with GQ. The actor even took a dig at the studio by hailing it as a fair-weather friend of him. It seems like he knows that Disney won’t hire him back in any of its forthcoming projects. Especially not after the disastrous performance of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice at the box office. Additionally, a brand new National Treasure series will hit the Disney+ streaming service in future. It will be nothing short of a miracle if we see Cage leading that project.
“The phone stopped ringing. It was like, ‘What do you mean we’re not doing National Treasure 3? It’s been 14 years. Why not?'” Cage disclosed to GQ. “Well, Sorcerer’s Apprentice didn’t work, and Ghost Rider didn’t sell tickets. And Drive Angry, that just came and went.”
Furthermore, the actor pointed out his love for independent projects in the interview. He said that they appeal more to him.
“I enjoy making movies like Pig and Leaving Las Vegas more than I enjoy making movies like National Treasure,” Cage continued. “When I talk about fair-weather friends in Hollywood, I’m not talking about [producer] Jerry [Bruckheimer]. I’m talking about Disney. They’re like an ocean liner. Once they go in a certain direction, you’ve got to get a million tugboats to try to swivel it back around.”
Cage bagged both the Golden Globe and the Oscar for Best Actor for his exceptional performance in Leaving Las Vegas. And his heart-touching portrayal of a broken truffle hunter in Pig is one of the best performances he has bestowed in recent times. So, it makes sense why he is more interested in independent movies.
The actor’s entire filmography feels like a rollercoaster ride with lots of turns. Some of his best work can be seen in Face/Off, Bringing out the Dead, Adaptation, Matchstick Men, World Trade Center, Joe, Mandy, Pig, and many more. But he has also starred in many nonsensical projects that ended up sucking the life out of audiences.
However, Cage’s upcoming projects may bring back his former glory to him. His forthcoming project with Pedro Pascal, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, has scored a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. We know this rating won’t last long. Still, it is a good sign for him. Plus, he will play Count Dracula in Chris McKay’s Renfield. Nicholas Hoult was handpicked by Skybound Entertainment for the titular role in August last year.
Stay tuned for more updates on star Nicolas Cage and the planned National Treasure Disney+ series.