Nicolas Cage is set to team with writer-director Andrew Niccol in "Lord of War," a drama that will shoot this summer. Monica Bellucci is in talks to co-star.
Niccol, who scripted "The Truman Show" and wrote and directed "Gattaca" and "Simone," has penned a drama that casts Cage as a ruthless global arms dealer who is trying to stay a step ahead of a relentless Interpol agent. Bellucci, who stars in the Mel Gibson-directed "The Passion of the Christ," would play the weapon dealer's conflicted wife.
The drama will shoot in South Africa, Germany and New York. It is a co-production of Entertainment Manufacturing Co.'s Philippe Rousselet, Niccol and Saturn Films partners Cage and Norm Golightly. Joel Phiri and Jeremy Nathan are co-producing.
"Lord of War" is being financed through foreign sales, an effort spearheaded by IMG and Arclight Films. The producers haven't set a domestic distribution deal, but one could come before production begins.
Cage just wrapped "National Treasure" for Disney and he has just begun filming "Weatherman" for Paramount Pictures. He and Golightly produced the Cage-directed "Sonny" and "Shadow of the Vampire."
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