Oliver Stone is getting set to film Snowden, about the NSA whistleblower that’s currently living in Russia. He’s secured a strong cast that includes Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Edward Snowden, Shailene Woodley, Melissa Leo, Zachary Quinto, Tom Wilkinson, Rhys Ifans, Joely Richardson and Timothy Olyphant. The Hollywood Reporter has just revealed that Stone has just added to the cast. 

Looks like Stone wants to attempt to rescue Nicolas Cage from the C-list, because he’s cast the actor in this timely film. Cage will reportedly play a US Intelligence Officer in the film, which will reunite the star and director for the first time since 2006’s World Trade Center. 

The film will be based on two books: The Snowden Files: The Inside Story of the World’s Most Wanted Man by Luke Harding, and Time of The Octopus by Snowden’s Russian lawyer Anatoly Kucherena. 

I’ll admit that while it’s fun to pile on Cage for his questionable choices- and occasionally outlandish personal issues- I actually like the guy. He’s one of those actors that I feel sinks or swims based on the quality of the project itself. With the right script and director, I’ve seen him turn in top drawer performances. While it’s unknown how large a role he’ll play in Snowden, here’s hoping that Stone is able to rein thestar in and help get his career back on track after a series of clunkers. 

Snowden is scheduled to come out on Christmas Day, and hopes to succeed in theaters where The Fifth Estate failed. That film, about WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange, was ravaged by critics and didn’t even make back a third of its budget when it came out in 2013. 

SOURCE: THR