Nicolas Cage remains one of Hollywood’s most popular actors and continues to take on interesting projects. A production that’s yet to see the light of day, however, is Face/Off 2, which fans have been anxiously awaiting for some time now. The movie is reportedly in development, but there’s been no indication as to when it might be released. Now though, it seems that Cage is working on a sequel to yet another one of his super-violent big-screen hits. It’s a significant development and, in my eyes, this is an unexpected follow-up.
Lord of War is one of the 59-year-old actor’s most notable movies of the 2000s, though I’m still surprised to learn that the crime drama is getting a sequel called Lords of War. That’s right, and the movie will reunite Nicolas Cage with the OG movie’s writer/director, Andrew Niccol, who will take up his duties once more for this movie. Also, according to Deadline, another actor has already been cast to join Cage. That person is none other than Bill Skarsgård, who movie fans may know best for his roles in IT, John Wick: Chapter 4 and more.
Released in 2005, Lord of War sees the Renfield actor playing Yuri Orlov – a character that’s based on Viktor Bout and other arms dealers. It’s a thrilling story that sees Orlov attempting to dodge a federal agent (Ethan Hawke) and grapple with the actions of his morally compromised brother (Jared Leto). Though it didn’t make a major impression at the box office, the film received mostly positive reviews. This first installment was intense enough, but the upcoming sequel sounds like it’s really going to up the ante.
Nicolas Cage’s Yuri will learn that he’s the father of a son, who will be played by Bill Skarsgård. The synopsis shared by Deadline states that the young man, whose name is Anton, isn’t exactly looking to bring honor to his family name. He actually wants to surpass the violent actions committed by his dad. He’ll attempt to do so by assembling a group of mercenaries to deal with the United States’ battles in the Middle East. This will ultimately put him in conflict with his father, and I’m sure that’ll have explosive results. As I said, I didn’t see this movie coming but, now, I can’t imagine not having a movie in which Cage and Skarsgård play a father and son who come to blows.
As cool as it sounds, fans will probably now more than ever wonder when they can expect the other aforementioned sequel. Nicolas Cage shared an update on Face/Off 2 in 2022 that provided a bit of optimism. Earlier this year, he described the plot, and it sounds wild. The film is also aiming for an R-rating, it seems. The notion of Cage’s Castor Troy being brought back is exciting, though it’d be nice to have some more concrete details on it.
This isn’t the only follow-up fans are hoping the beloved actor decides to do, funny enough. There are plenty of people who’ve been asking about a third National Treasure movie. Nothing seems to be set in stone at this point, though producer Jerry Bruckheimer said that discussions about such a film are “ongoing.”
Until that blockbuster or Face/Off 2 happens, we can at least be content with the unexpected blessing that is Lords of War. Nicolas Cage and Bill Skarsgård are sure to bring their A-game, and let’s hope that under Andrew Niccol’s watchful eye, they can deliver a movie that deftly builds upon its predecessor.
Movie lovers who’ve yet to see Lord of War, or just want to rewatch it for the umpteenth time, can stream it using a Hulu subscription.