Nic Cage plays 'Nick Cage' in first look at comedy-thriller The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

In the comedy-thriller The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (out April 22) Nicolas Cage plays "Nick Cage." So what exactly does that mean?

"['Nick Cage'] is an invented version of Nic Cage," says the Oscar winner, 58. "The character is feeling unfulfilled and contending with the rejection that can happen so often in the small town that is Hollywood. It's not me. I'm feeling pretty good about things."

The film's Nick Cage accepts a million dollars to attend the birthday party of a crime boss and Cage superfan named Javi (Pedro Pascal). "Javi has a wax statue of Nick and you think, 'Oh, it might be awkward between a film star and a fan,'" says Cage. "But they're both cinephiles, so they're having wonderful conversations about The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Paddington 2."

The cast also includes Neil Patrick Harris playing Cage's agent; Sharon Horgan and newcomer Lily Sheen as the actor's ex-wife and daughter, respectively; and Tiffany Haddish as a CIA agent. "Tiffany factors into the story once Nic has gotten to Mallorca, where the birthday party takes place," explains director and co-writer Tom Gormican. "She ropes Nick into a CIA operation and the plot [proceeds] from there."

As he did in 2002's Adaptation, the real Cage pulls double duty, playing both "Nick" and "Nicky," a younger, Wild at Heart-era version of the actor and figment of his imagination. "He's got the lanky long hair; he's just constantly riding Nick about his career choices," says Cage. "I wasn't too excited about the idea of playing myself, but when Tom sent me this script, Nicky reminded me a little of Jerry Lewis' Buddy Love in The Nutty Professor. I always admired what he did with that movie. For me, Nicky steals the show."

The teaser trailer for The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent drops tomorrow. See first look images from the film below.

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