The upcoming horror movie Longlegs from director Oz Perkins has been receiving plenty of attention. One such reason has been the film’s intense and frightening trailers. Actor Nicolas Cage’s Longlegs character has only been teased in the trailers so far, and according to Perkins, Nicolas Cage is completely “unrecognizable.”
Oz Perkins shared as much while speaking in a recent interview. Of course, Nicolas Cage is often recognized for the eccentric performances largely associated with his roles. For Longlegs, however, Cage is said to have completely changed the way he speaks and moves for the movie.
Here’s what Perkins had to say on that front with GamesRadar:
“We derived the voice of the character, the look of the character, the attitude. What references is Nic going to use in terms of people in his life or other actors? He’s very upfront that he pulls from other people a lot. So which other person is he going to do?”
Perkins continues to discuss Cage’s serial killer character:
“By the time he gets to the set, he’s unrecognizable. He doesn’t sound like himself. He doesn’t walk like himself. So you have this element, like wind or fire, but it’s Nicolas Cage as your character.”
He also compared the style of the movie to other crime thriller and horror movies:
“So it’s Silence Of The Lambs but it’s also kind of Zodiac, it’s sort of Seven. There’s kind of a pattern, a cipher, the sort of things you recognize,” Perkins says. “I’ll say the word Manson early on in the movie, do you know what I mean? You make it fair. But then you do your truth on the other side.”
In addition to Nicolas Cage, the film Longlegs directed by Oz Perkins also stars Maika Monroe, Alicia Witt, Blair Underwood, Lisa Chandler, Erin Boyes, Dakota Daulby, and Vanessa Walsh.
Longlegs is set to hit theaters on July 12, 2024. Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for any additional updates regarding Longlegs and the work of director Oz Perkins and stars Nicolas Cage and Maika Monroe as we have them. For now, Longlegs seems to absolutely be shaping up as a horror film to remember.