It’s been a busy week for Nicolas Cage! Cannes sales have already set up the Academy Award winning actor for a crime thriller, The Trust and, just yesterday, the supernatural tale Pay the Ghost. Now, Paper Street Films and Back Lot Pictures have announced Cage will lead their political drama, The Runner. The film marks producer Austin Starks writing and directing debut. Over the past few years, Stark has produced and executive produced several successful independent films including this years Sundance hit Infinitely Polar Bear, starring Mark Ruffalo and Zoe Saldana, and the Sundance 2010 Audience Award winner Happythankyoumoreplease, starring Josh Radnor and Kate Mara.
In the aftermath of the tragic 2010 BP oil spill, Colin Price (Cage), an idealistic but flawed New Orleans congressman, is forced to confront his dysfunctional life after his career is destroyed in a sex scandal.
For my first film as a director, I’m honored to be working alongside one of the finest living actors, Nicolas Cage,” says Stark. “‘The Runner,’ a contemporary political drama, is new and exciting territory for Mr. Cage. I have no doubt he’s going to deliver a powerful and poignant performance, as relevant as the film itself.
The Runner will be produced by Benji Kohn, Bingo Gubelmann, and Chris Papavasiliou for Paper Street Films and Glenn Williamson for Back Lot Pictures and executive produced by Ruth Mutch, Noah Millman, Sam Bisbee, Tom Conigliaro and Erika Hampson. Production is set for New Orleans on June 23, 2014.
(Photo Credit: WENN.com)
