Christian Bale and Nicolas Cage are both prolific, versatile actors who have received critical acclaim for their diverse work across genres. Bale, with one Academy Award and two Golden Globes under his belt, has a reputation for playing roles that involve intense psychological and physical transformation. Also an Oscar winner for 1995’s Leaving Las Vegas, Cage has starred in a surprising number of roles, from critically acclaimed indie movies to cult classics and iconic franchises, but his performances can be a little unpredictable at times.
As someone who has been following both Bale and Cage’s careers, I’ve been dying to see them in the same frame for years, but up until now, their only on-screen collaboration has been 2001’s Captain Corelli’s Mandolin. In 2012, they were rumored to be in talks to star opposite each other in a Tesla biopic, but the 2020 biographical drama cast Ethan Hawke as Nikola Tesla and Kyle MacLachlan as Thomas Edison instead. The day to see the two top-tier actors in one movie has finally come again, and unlike their last collaboration, I have reasons to believe that their next project will be a hit.
Nicolas Cage & Christian Bale Reunite In The New Movie Madden, & The First Look Has Dropped
The Duo Works Together As Icons Of The Gridiron
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Cage and Bale have been cast in the new David O. Russell film Madden, which will mark their reunion 24 years after their only film together. Though it currently doesn’t have a release date, the Amazon MGM Studios’ movie stars Cage as Raiders’ head coach-turned-broadcaster John Madden and Bale as team owner Al Davis. Joining them in the cast are John Mulaney as Trip Hawkins, Kathryn Hahn as Virginia Madden, and Sienna Miller as Carol Davis.
Recently, ᴅᴇᴀᴅline unveiled the first look at Cage and Bale’s shocking on-screen transformations, and both men are nearly unrecognizable. With a script from Russell, Madden follows the тιтular character’s unusual career and sees a lifelong teacher of football strategy walk away from the job after the Raiders’ big Super Bowl win, redirecting his skills into launching one of the biggest video game franchises of all time before heading to the broadcast booth.
Bale & Cage Previously Starred In Captain Corelli’s Mandolin 24 Years Ago, But It Was Poorly Reviewed
Captain Corelli’s Mandolin Sees Cage And Bale In Love With The Same Woman
Before Madden, the only time Bale and Cage came together on-screen was in a 2001 war romance movie, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin. The film pays homage to the Italian soldiers who lost their lives in the Mᴀssacre of the Acqui Division. Cage stars in the lead role as the leader of an Italian invasion force who falls in love with a local woman engaged to Bale’s resistance fighter.
Despite having both stars in one film, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin had a moderate box office return during its theatrical run and received negative reviews from critics and fans alike, with only a 28% critical approval rate and 50% audience approval rate on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie is hardly considered a notable тιтle in either star’s catalog. Madden, on the other hand, is very likely to become a successful Cage and Bale collaboration.
The First Look For Madden Already Looks Promising Thanks To A New Dynamic Between Cage & Bale
Cage Is Noticeably Miserable, And Bale Is Glowing
Bale’s Al Davis is easily one of the wildest physical transformations by the actor in recent years, who has a reputation for going all the way for his characters. On the fiction side, Bale has played a number of dark and tortured roles, including Trevor Reznick in The Machinist, where he went through a brutal physical transformation. In 2010’s biographical drama The Fighter, he played a real-life boxer, Dicky Eklunch, which earned him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. American Hustle saw him playing a character inspired by a real-life con artist.
While it’s not hard to imagine Bale in troubled and complicated roles, seeing him glowing as a successful figure who has spent 39 years working as the managing partner and principal owner of the football team is definitely something new.
Madden has not yet received a release date.
Similarly, Nicolas Cage’s тιтular character is a role that the actor can really dig his teeth into. John Madden famously retired from coaching after the stress of the job began to affect his health, and you can see that Cage’s Madden looks distinctively stressed and miserable standing next to a glamorous Bale. These are two actors who put everything they have into every role, and seeing their fiercely contrasting energy in this first image, the duo’s dynamics look promising to say the least.
Source: ᴅᴇᴀᴅline
