Nicholas Cage Embraces Highs and Lows of His Career in Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

The internet loves meme-able celebrities, and some classic memes are, in a way, a celebration of these personalities. If you have been on the internet long enough, you might be aware that Nicholas Cage is one such celebrity.

Now, with his new film, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Cage showcases that he is well aware of how much the internet loves him and the meme-able moments in his decades-long career.

Directed by Tom Gormican, the new film not only celebrates the actor’s career but also plays on and parodies the way the audience has come to perceive him over time.

Cage plays a version of himself in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, where the actor is best known for his most bizarre performances but is hitting an all-time low, almost on the verge of quitting acting.

To pay off a huge debt, Cage agrees to attend the birthday party of a superfan, Javi Gutierrez (Pedro Pascal), for a million dollars. Over the course of the film, Gutierrez tries to convince Cage to get back into acting and reignite his love for the art.

Among all of this, Nick’s de-aged younger alter ego, Nicky, also frequently pops up to yell at him, constantly reminding him that he’s a big movie star and to retake control of his life.

The film has various references to all the popular Nicolas Cage memes that the internet has delivered over time, including Wicker Man’s  “Not the bees!” meme, “You Don’t Say” from Vampire’s Kiss, and self-parodying his line from Con Air during an acting “exercise.”

As if these weren’t enough, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent also gifts the internet an original meme where Cage French-kisses himself… well, Nicky, if we have to be precise.

Cage recently revealed that it was the character of Nicky that won him over when the actor was still unsure about whether he wanted to do the project,

“It was my favorite thing about it. When they said, ‘We’ve gotta land this movie at 100 minutes or whatever,’ I said, OK, I’m going to fight for Nicky. That was the character that stole the show, made me laugh the most, and that was the guy that made me want to say yes to the movie.”

Nicholas Cage

So really, Massive Talent is like a love letter from Nicholas Cage to Nicholas Cage.

Lionsgate’s The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is currently screening in theaters.

About The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is a 2022 American action comedy film directed by Tom Gormican from a screenplay co-written with Kevin Etten.

The film stars Nicolas Cage as a fictionalized version of himself, along with other cast members including Pedro Pascal, Sharon Horgan, Ike Barinholtz, Alessandra Mastronardi, Jacob Scipio, Neil Patrick Harris, and Tiffany Haddish.

The story follows actor Nick Cage, who in the face of financial ruin,  accepts a $1 million offer to attend a wealthy fan’s birthday party. Things take a wildly unexpected turn when a CIA operative recruits Cage for an unusual mission. Taking on the role of a lifetime, he soon finds himself channeling his most iconic and beloved characters to save himself and his loved ones.