Nicolas Cage‘s well-documented tax problems have made him the bitch of shady production company Milennium Films. The company’s protocol seems to be to make cheap exploitation pictures before selling off the rights to individual territories, a touch-and-go philosophy that produces the occasional gem (“Leaves of Grass“) alongside output that, dictated by the law of averages, ends up going straight to DVD. While the studio has few consistent collaborators, Cage starred in their “Wicker Man” remake and now has “Trespass” and “Drive Angry” slated for 2011. Joining that fleet is the upcoming “Medallion,” making that four collaborations between Cage and a company that, very likely, pays quickly, and in cash.
From a script by the suddenly-hot David Guggenheim (“Safe House“), “Medallion” follows a panicked thief who has only a few hours to find his kidnapped daughter, locked in the trunk of a New York City taxicab. Cage beat out (or was more cooperative than) Clive Owen and Jason Statham for the role, suggesting this is a more action-intensive part for the Oscar winner. Appropriately, this will be Cage’s first re-teaming with “Con Air” director Simon West, which hopefully means Cage will again sport a ridiculous mane of hair and a name as poetic as Cameron Poe.
As we noted back in October, the project is being produced by McG. In addition to “Medallion,” “Trespass” and “Drive Angry,” Cage has “Season of the Witch,” and “The Hungry Rabbit Jumps” also slated for 2011 release, with “Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance” and hopefully the last of his defaulted castle payments scheduled for ’12.
