'Exit 147' Reteams Nicolas Cage with 'Leaving Las Vegas' Director Mike Figgis

At this point, Nicolas Cage's career has been terrible a lot longer than it was worthy of any praise. Sure, every now and then he shows flashes of the actor he wants with a movie like Joe, but more often than not we get crap like Left Behind. But there was a time when Nicolas Cage was an Oscar-worthy talent, and the one time he won a Best Actor it was working with Mike Figgis on Leaving Las Vegas. So does that mean we should see potential in their next collaboration?

Cage and Figgis will reunite for the serial killer film, Exit 147, and if it sounds familiar that's because Taylor Kitsch and Julian Jarrold (Brideshead Revisited) were attached to it a couple years ago. Travis Milloy's screenplay centers on a small-town sheriff (Cage) who gets involved in some sadistic games with a woman escaping from the abusive partner he arrested.  

Figgis last directed the little-seen thriller Suspension of Disbelief, and has mostly dabbled in experimental projects that have kept away him away from multiplexes. Outside of an episode of The Sopranos he hasn't done anything mainstream since 2003's Cold Creek Manor. This sounds like the kind of film that could change that, but probably won't be earning Cage any more awards. We shall see.