Is there any rhyme or reason to the filmography of Nicolas Cage? We know the actor is talented, but some of the projects he’s been appearing in lately are just such bizarre choices that it almost makes you forget he has an Oscar stashed away somewhere. Case in point: Outcast, a battle epic set in ancient China that seems notable only in that it will give the actor more material to add to the next clip reel of him losing his shit.
The first trailer for Outcast is supremely confusing, and the plot is too convoluted for me to sum up here, so just read the synopsis (below) if you want a better idea of what to expect. But honestly, all you need to know is that Cage gets lines like “I am the white ghost,” giggles like a little girl and manages to conjure up one of the weirdest squinty-eyed expressions I’ve seen since, well, the actor’s last bargain bin offering.
Hayden Christensen co-stars in the movie, which is summarized as follows:
Ancient China – Princess Lian and her younger brother, Zhao, flee for their lives when their father, the Emperor, is murdered by his ambitious eldest son Shing. Pursued by Shing’s black guards, the royal runaways find protection in the form of Arken, a hardened knight seeking redemption from the traumatic nightmares of the Crusades as he searches for his former friend and mentor, Gallain, now a notorious bandit on the silk road. Their gruelling journey sees an unlikely romance bloom between the refined princess and the gruff warrior and Zhao learns the true meaning of leadership from this western warrior. Setting aside their differences, Aarken and Gallain once again fight side by side in an epic and unwinnable battle against Shing and his forces – only this time they are fighting for something they both believe in.
Stuntman Nick Powell (The Three Musketeers) is making his directorial debut here – perhaps the most interesting part of Outcast will be seeing whether the director was able to coax some truly bonkers material out of Cage. That’s the only way I’ll even consider screening the pic when it arrives on February 27th next year. Oh, and I’ve included the vid for “Nicolas Cage Losing His Shit” below – because you might need a nutty pick-me-up after this trailer.