Director Tim Brown says Nicolas Cage loved playing a grandfather in ‘The Retirement Plan’
Director Tim Brown has stated that Nicolas Cage “loved” being aged up to play a grandfather in his new movie, The Retirement Plan.
The film stars Cage as a retired and estranged father and grandfather living in the Cayman Islands, with supporting roles from Ashley Greene and Ron Perlman. It was released in the United States on Friday, September 15th, 2023.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Brown explained how he got Cage on board, recalling, “I sent Mike [Nilon], his manager, the script, and he responded. He said that he thought it was really funny. He loved the family theme that’s running through it.”
Cage was also taken by the opportunity to play an older character: “He loved the idea of playing a grandfather and playing a bit older than his own age. So he liked the idea of being aged up, and that was pretty much it.”
Brown recalled that they “talked a lot about the material, and the comedy really drew him to it. I don’t know if he ever gets enough credit for being a tremendous comic actor because he does so much drama and action, but his comic ability is phenomenal.”
He continued to praise the actor, stating “He has an ability to improvise and add just a little twist of something that I refer to as the ‘Nic Cage spice.’ So he brought his Nic Cage-ism to this role in the Caymans with us, as he does in every role that he does, and I got really lucky that he liked the material.”
According to Brown, the concept of the film was inspired by John Wick: “I think I asked myself the question of what if John Wick just became a drunk for 30 years on a beach on whatever island he happened to be lying on. And if he was pushing 70, would he still be able to do the John Wick stuff that he used to do and how would that affect his body?”
The Retirement Plan, starring Cage, is out now. Watch the trailer below.
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