Yesterday was the press junket for Hell Baby, the new horror comedy from “Reno 911” and “The State” creators Tom Lennon and Robert Ben Garant. We’ll bring the full interview with them when Hell Baby opens theatrically in September (you can currently see it on VOD), but we have some news about their upcoming projects that just can’t wait. Still working screenwriters for hire, Lennon and Garant are attached to some major films.
Action No. 1 is the true story of the theft of Nicolas Cage’s first issue of Action Comics, featuring the first appearance of Superman. As any self-respecting Nicolas Cage fan, the most important question is: Will Nicolas Cage play Nicolas Cage?
“He read the script and I think he likes it,” Lennon said. “I don’t know if he’s going to be in it or not.”
It gets even better though. What’s better than the prospect of Nicolas Cage playing Nicolas Cage? Garant has the answer. “He said even if he doesn’t do it, he gives us permission to have someone else play him which is fascinating,” Garant said.
Yes, the only thing better than Nicolas Cage playing Nicolas Cage is Nicolas Cage recommending someone else play Nicolas Cage. “And [he’s] approved,” Garant added. “It’s his story so he’s given us permission to do his story.”
But not just anybody. Of course there is the Andy Samberg impression, and Cage has appeared with his “SNL” doppelganger. No, if Nicolas Cage isn’t going to play Nicolas Cage, whoever plays Nicolas Cage has to be A-list. “I don’t know if he feels like him playing him maybe is too close to home,” Lennon said. “He was thinking of some major other movie star playing him which personally I find also very funny.”
As far as I’m concerned that’s win-win either way.
Fred Topel is a staff writer at CraveOnline and the man behind Shelf Space Weekly. Follow him on Twitter at @FredTopel.
