Nicolas Cage may look to redeem his recent career misfires by starring as Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, in an upcoming biopic centered around the revered conservative figure. Page Six reported the news, claiming that Cage has been offered the role and is in the process of deciding whether or not taking it will have any effect on his career in left-leaning Hollywood. The actor’s publicist, Stephen Huvane, said, “It’s way too early in the development process.”
Despite some controversy over the course of his presidency, Reagan will be shown in a favorable light in the movie, which marks a great contrast from the canceled Will Ferrell-Adam McKay Reagan project that would have made light of his struggle with Alzheimer’s disease.
Over recent years, Cage has proven that being prolific isn’t always a good thing, as time and time again he has appeared in movies ranging from forgettable to laughable to just downright bad; however, Cage always manages to turn in at least a vaguely interesting performance even when the material he’s working with is boring and formulaic. Regardless, he’s fallen a long way from the days when his name was associated with an Oscar win and such movies as Leaving Las Vegas, The Rock and Adaptation.
Perhaps playing Reagan is the career boost Cage needs to once again reach Hollywood’s A-list and rise above the straight-to-video films that have made up so much of his career as of recent.
Originally published December 29, 2016. Updated April 16, 2018.
