The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent has the interesting concept of Nicolas Cage playing himself, but the movie almost had a different actor playing him. The movie follows an exaggerated version of the eccentric actor at the lowest point in his career, as he literally resorts to auditioning on the street. While things start to look up for him when he's offered $1 million to attend a fan's birthday party in Majorca, they get completely out of hand when the host turns out to be part of a drug cartel.
The fictionalized "Nick" Cage adopts what he's learned from his previous roles, leading to tons of Con Air. Cage leans perfectly into the meta concept, and it even leads to a scene where the actor French kisses himself. However, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent almost looked a lot different, as it was originally meant to have a different actor portraying the character of Nick Cage.
Christian Bale Almost Played Nicolas Cage
In an interview promoting the movie, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent screenwriter Kevin Etten discussed the two actors he originally considered to play the part of Nick Cage, as the real-life Nicolas Cage wasn't actually the first choice. The American Psycho. In that respect, this movie could easily have been written about him, though he isn't quite as eccentric in real life as Nicolas Cage.
The Screenwriter Also Wanted Daniel Day-Lewis
Kevin Etten also considered Daniel Day-Lewis for the part of Nick Cage. It sounds more like dream-casting than a realistic option, as Day-Lewis is not only extremely selective about the roles he takes, but he's also now retired, so it's unlikely it would have ever happened. However, Day-Lewis getting into character to play a very uncaged Nicolas Cage would have made for a great making-of documentary. The three-time Academy Award winner has The Phantom Thread.
Cage Playing Himself Was Ultimately The Best Decision
While a different famous actor playing "Nick Cage" in The Unbearable Weight of Talent could have been hilarious, it would've felt more like a Saturday Night Live sketch. It also wouldn't have been as meta, the concept would have been harder to grasp, and it would've confused audiences. As Christian Bale is just as famous as Nicolas Cage and has several iconic movies of his own, it'd be hard to ignore that it's Bale on the screen. Meanwhile, a method actor such as Daniel Day-Lewis would've taken the role of playing Nicolas Cage too seriously. Therefore, Cage was really the best choice to play Cage.
