Longlegs Director Explains the ‘Privilege’ of Working With Nicolas Cage

Nicolas Cage is ready to fuel your nightmares with his performance in Longlegs. Cage plays the titular serial killer behind a string of Satanic killings. Cage has always been a fearless performer, willing to do whatever it takes to give a memorable performance. Longlegs director Osgood Perkins raved about Cage’s performance and intense commitment to the craft.

“He’s everything that you want him to be, I’m so happy to report. It’s like you’ve come down on Christmas morning and there’s a Nicolas Cage-shaped package under your Christmas tree,” Perkins told GamesRadar+ and Inside Total Film. “You open it up and he just starts going? He’s intensely prepared. He has read everything. He’s seen every movie that you could ever want to reference. He knows everybody’s name. He knows every performance, he can quote every song. He likes all the same things you do. He’s in complete control of his instrument. He’s just on it. It was a privilege. What can I say?”

What’s the secret to directing a unique actor like Cage? For Perkins, it was important to allow the Oscar winner to do Cage-like things before stepping in to make adjustments.

“It’s like having a racehorse in your movie. It’s like, ‘Well, I guess it’s just gonna do its thing, and I’ll just stand by and make sure that nothing goes too far one way or doesn’t go far enough another way,’” Perkins explained. “I mean, I can’t imagine directing Nicolas Cage with a strong hand; it’s a very gentle touch. You’re just positioning little things here and there, every once in a while. He’s like a cello or a harp, or a saxophone.”

Who Stars Alongside Nicolas Cage in Longlegs?

The official synopsis for Longlegs reads: “In pursuit of a serial killer, an FBI agent uncovers a series of occult clues that she must solve to end his terrifying killing spree.”

Maika Monroe stars as Lee Harker, the FBI agent tasked with finding Cage’s Longlegs. The rest of the ensemble includes Blair Underwood, Alicia Witt, Michelle Choi-Lee, Dakota Daulby, and Kiernan Shipka.

Perkins writes and directs Longlegs. Producers include Cage, Dan Kagan, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Dave Caplan, and Chris Ferguson. Neon will handle distribution of the film in the United States.

Longlegs heads to theaters on July 12, 2024.

(Source: GamesRadar+ and Inside Total Film)