Oscar winnerNicolas CageandHereditarystarAlex Wolffare set to star in the indie moviePig, which hails from writer-directorMichael Sarnoski, Collider has confirmed.
Cage will play a truffle hunter who lives alone in the wilderness of Oregon with his beloved foraging pig. When the pig is kidnapped, he must journey into Portland – and his long-abandoned past – to recover her.
Sarnoski wrote the script, based on a story he co-wrote withVanessa Block, who is producing alongsideDimitra Tsingou,Thomas Benski,Ben Giladi,David Carrico,Adam Paulsen,Dori Rath,Joseph Restaino,Steve Tischand Cage. Sarnoski previously served as an editor on Block’s acclaimed 2015 documentary shortThe Testimony.
Pulse Films, BlockBox Entertainment, Valparaiso Pictures and Cage’s Saturn Pictures are producingPigin association with co-financiers Escape Artists and Sweet Tomato Films, thoughLen Blavatnik’s AI Film is financing the majority of the picture, which started production on Monday.
Two years ago, I readJeffery Deaver’s bookThe Burial Hour, which follows the same investigators he introduced inThe Bone Collector. Sections of the book are set in Italy, where a forestry officer is on the trail of a truffle counterfeiter, so I actually learned a lot about the unique world of truffles, and I can see why Cage’s prized pig would mean so much to him. And yet, I don’t think we’re going to see Cage going all John Wick here to get his pig back. I think this is going to have a bit more soul, kind of likeDavid Gordon Green’sJoe, another film that paired Cage with a young, rising star – in that case,Tye Sheridan. ForPigto have drawn Wolff’s interest in addition to Cage, whose tastes run all over the map, I imagine there’s something special about this script.
Cage recently starred inPanos Cosmatos’ head-tripMandy, and he next stars inSion Sono’sPrisoners of the Ghostlandas well asRichard Stanley’s sci-fi thrillerColor Out of Space,based on the short story byH.P. Lovecraft. Meanwhile, Wolff starred in three movies at TIFF, including theHugh JackmanstandoutBad Education. His directorial debut,The Cat and the Moon, opens on Oct. 25, and he’ll soon be seen inJumanji: The Next Level.
Cage is represented by WME and Stride Management, while Wolff is repped by CAA, Untitled and Definition Entertainment. Sarnoski is repped by WME and MGMT Entertainment. ThePignews was first reported by Deadline.
