It’s no great secret thatNicolas Cagehas tendencies to be eccentric in both his personal and professional choices. He is currently ranked as #2 for the “shortest Hollywood marriages” for his brief 4-day marriage toErika Koike. He also made headlines in 2007 for a shopping spree that cost him over $33 million. In this small splurge of his, he bought three properties, 22 cars (nine of which were Rolls Royces), and most notably, an actual dinosaur skull. So you may understand why we’re really excited to see him play what might just be his craziest role ever.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talentis a mouthful of a title, and some of you may have noticed that the trailers for it are now just referring to it asMassive Talentto make it easier to talk about. The movie is set to star Nicolas Cage as a slightly exaggerated version of himself. As he is struggling to land a new role, a lucrative offer falls into Cage’s lap. One of his biggest fans, Javi Gutierrez (Pedro Pascal), invites Cage to join him for his birthday party, offering him $1 million for the appearance. But when Cage learns that Javi is a notorious arms dealer and his wife and daughter are now in danger, he is forced to channel some of the moreKick-Asscharacters he’s played in the past. If that doesn’t sound like aFace/Offfor the ages, what does? Here’s how you can watch this exciting new movie.
Related:Nicolas Cage Says He’s Done His Best Work in the Last 10 Years
Is The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent in Movie Theaters?
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talenthad its world premiere at the South by Southwest (SXSW) film festival on June 05, 2025. The movie has been released exclusively in theaters on June 03, 2025. It was originally set to be released on July 22, 2025.
Will The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent Stream Online?
At the moment, it doesn’t look like it. The digital release date is still yet to be determined for this movie but given time, it’ll probably end up on one of the major streaming sites.
Who Are the Cast and Crew of The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent?
Pedro Pascal, best known for his leading role inThe Mandalorian, is playing opposite Nicolas Cage as a billionaire superfan. He has also had a role in HBO’sGame of Thronesseries as Dornish Prince Oberyn.
Tiffany Haddish(Bad Trip) andIke Barinholtz(Blockers) star as the CIA operatives who recruit Cage to help them take Javi down.Sharon Horgan(Game Night) portrays Cage’s most recent ex-wife.Neil Patrick Harrisis also in the movie playing the character Richard Fink, Cage’s agent.
Nicolas Cage supposedly turned down the role several times but had a change of heart when writer and directorTom Gormicanwrote him a personal letter asking him to reconsider. Gormican co-wrote the screenplay withKevin Ettenand it was picked up by Lionsgate Films in 2019.
Related:Nicolas Cage Insisted on Not Checking the Focus Group Boxes While Making ‘The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent’
How Are the Reviews of The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent?
After having its world premiere at South by Southwest earlier this year,Massive Talentreceived mostly positive feedback. It currently has a Metacritic score of 76 out of a possible 100, as well as a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. That number could change once the movie is released but it does bode well for the film.
Here’s an excerpt from Collider’sreviewof the movie:
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent works far better as a buddy comedy than as a satire of Cage and his previous films. But Cage and Pascal together make an extremely delightful combo, one that holds Unbearable Weight afloat even when the plot and parody can become a bit perfunctory. But The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent—even when it doesn’t entirely work—shows the dedication and greatness of Cage, the impressive breadth of his career, and proves that Cage is, indeed, back. Not that he went anywhere.
What Nicolas Cage Movies Should You Watch Before Massive Talent?
There are a plethora of movies that Nicolas Cage has starred in throughout the years. Here are a few that you can watch before going to seeMassive Talentthat might showcase the types of characters that Cage will have to channel to save the day.
Mandy(2018):Mandyis a psychedelic action-horror film set in the 80s. Produced byElijah Woodand directed byPanos Cosmatos, this movie is all about sweet, sweet vengeance. After his girlfriend, Mandy (Andrea Riseborough), is brutally murdered in front of him, Nicolas Cage goes on an absolute rampage against drug-riddled cannibalistic biker gangs and a dangerous religious cult. The bikers, known as “The Black Skulls,” are known to produce a highly potent liquid form of LSD, some of which Red (Cage) consumes after a bloody battle. This sets off a trip that lasts for the rest of the movie, as he hacks and slashes his way through every last cult member.
Con Air(1997):This classic Cage movie takes place primarily on board an aircraft designed for prisoner transportation. Cameron Poe (Cage) is an honorably-discharged Army Ranger spending a romantic evening with his pregnant wife when a group of drunken men attempt to assault her. He fights them off, accidentally killing one, which lands him in jail for 10 years. When he gets paroled, he has to fly to Alabama in a plane full of inmates who are destined for a super-maximum facility.John Malkovichis the sinister mastermind behind taking over the plane, along withDanny TrejoandSteve Buscemi, causing Cameron Poe to step in and save the day with the help of U.S. Marshal Vince Larkin (John Cusack).
Drive Angry(2011):This movie has an unsurprising 48% on Rotten Tomatoes, and a meager 5.4/10 on IMDb, but don’t let that dissuade you from checking it out. It’s a perfect example of one of the crazier acting gigs that Nicolas Cage signed up for. It was also shot in 3D, which is pretty much the cherry on top for this movie.
On a quest to rescue his granddaughter, John Milton (Cage) steals Satan’s gun and escapes Hell. His granddaughter was taken by cult leader Jonah King (Billy Burke) after he murdered her parents. He plans to sacrifice the infant girl because he believes that by doing so, he will unleash Hell on Earth.
Face/Off(1997):Another 1997 Nicolas Cage treasure, this movie pits him againstJohn Travoltaas his nemesis, FBI Special Agent Sean Archer. He attempted to assassinate Archer, but the bullet went through him and killed his young son instead. Years later, during a firefight between the two of them, Castor Troy (Cage) tells Archer that he knows about a bomb that is set to blow up in Los Angeles in a few days. Before Archer can get any more info out of him, he is knocked unconscious and is left comatose. In a highly unethical attempt to infiltrate Castor’s inner group, Archer undergoes face-swapping surgery with his worst enemy. But the plan goes predictably wrong when Castor wakes up.
Gone in 60 Seconds(2000):Retired and reformed, notorious car-thief Randall “Memphis” Raines (Cage) finds himself brought back into the fold of stealing cars in order to save his younger brother, Kip (Giovanni Ribisi). After Kip accidentally messes up an assignment, leading to the impounding of multiple stolen cars and a new police investigation, he is caught and held hostage by his boss, Raymond Calitri (Christopher Eccleston). Memphis is tasked by Calistrito to deliver 50 high-end cars within 72 hours, or else his brother will be killed by a car crusher. He teams up with “Sway” (Angelina Jolie), a mechanic, to complete the task in this high octane action-heist thriller.
Considering the fact that he’s going up against an eccentric billionaire inMassive Talent, Cage will undoubtedly have to take advantage of some of the expensive and exotic cars in Javi’s collection. WatchingGone in 60 Secondswill give us a sneak peek at how well Cage can handle himself behind the wheel. While any Nicolas Cage movie would be a great appetizer before feasting onThe Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, it will be exciting to see just how far the writers take Cage to the next level in this new movie.
