Fans can never get enough of Nicolas Cage, and they’re about to receive much more of him. The actor’s participation in Sand and Stones, a survival-action thriller set to release next year, was confirmed today. The shoot will start in Dublin, Ireland, next month.
The planet of Sand and Stones is one in which civilization has failed and the human population has drastically decreased. Cage portrays a dad who, together with his adolescent boys, has made it to the good life on a farm distant from civilization.
Yet the household is in danger. After the sun goes down each day, “ferocious animals” go on the prowl, destroying all alive in their way. One of the boys makes a fatal error, exposing the family to assault, and now they must struggle to stay alive. Cage’s career has had something of a mini-revival as of late, with roles in critically lauded films including Pig, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. However, he will forever be remembered for his iconic roles in action classics from the 1990s like The Rock and Face/Off, as well as his Oscar-winning performance in Leaving Las Vegas.
Besides Adaptation, National Treasure, and Kick-Ass, he has acted in a number of other successful movies. Ben Brewer will helm Sand & Stones with a screenplay by Michael Nilon. Commercial and music video director Brewer made his feature film debut with 2016’s The Trust, which featured Cage. In addition, he has worked as a visual effects artist, most notably as the film’s principal VFX artist for the lauded Everything, Everywhere, All at Once. Nilon has only written one film before Braven, an action movie starring Jason Momoa that was released in 2018. Nonetheless, Nilon has produced several other films starring Cage, including The Trust, Willy’s Wonderland, and The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.
Saturn Films, Nilon, David Wulf of Redline Entertainment, Arianne Fraser and Delphine Perrier of Highland Picture Group, and Braxton Pope will be producing the film under Cage’s direction. It’s worth noting that Slava Vladimirov, Jared Underwood, and Andrew Robinson will be executive producing the picture.
In a statement released on behalf of Highland Film Group, Fraser and Perrier said, in Fraser’s words: We are thrilled to be collaborating with Nicolas, a brilliant actor whose global clout and renowned charisma are unparalleled. Mike does a fantastic job of writing a high-octane scenario, making Sand and Stones an entertaining survival-action picture. The movie has wide international popularity.
Then, Perrier elaborated by saying “Ben is the ideal filmmaker to realise this explosive and end-of-the-world story! While working as the lead VFX artist on Everything, Everywhere, All at Once, Ben wowed us with his originality and creativity, and now we can’t wait to see his vision come to life. The Trust was our first collaboration with Ben Brewer, and we’re eager to do more filmmaking with him in the future.
Synopsis
Normal living has been severely diminished in the future’s thinly inhabited earth. Paul (Cage) and his adolescent sons Thomas and Joseph have eked out a meagre living in a rural farmhouse, but they are constantly in danger. As soon as the sun goes down, the night comes alive with terrifying beasts that will kill and eat anything living. But the nighttime monsters acquire the upper hand once Thomas makes a single misstep and comes after them. Paul, Thomas, and Joseph face imminent death unless they can act quickly.