1997’s Con Air has a stacked cast, quotable lines, action galore, and a fantastic performance by Nicolas Cage. The film, directed by Simon West, came out during the 90s when studios knew what filmgoers wanted in a summer blockbuster. Many people behind and in front of the camera have gone on to successful careers in different fields, but several can’t escape the legacy of Con Air. One such person is West, who has toyed with the idea of a sequel to the film from time to time. Yet, it seems like one key factor could bring the filmmaker back to direct the Con Air 2 if given the chance.
Simon West has primarily stayed in the action film world as director and producer, and success only continues to grow. The man behind such films as Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, When a Stranger Calls and Wild Card has a new action film set to release soon that will likely be another hit for the filmmaker. The film, Old Guy, has West directing two-time Oscar-winner Christoph Waltz and Cooper Hoffman as contract killers forced to work together.
Old Guy premiered at this year’s Newport Beach Film Festival, where we met West to discuss certain aspects of his directing process. Part of that conversation led to his past work, which led to the topic of a possible Con Air 2. Fans of the first movie have been eager to see Nicolas Cage come back as former Army Ranger Cameron Poe in a big way, and it’s feasible West could be back given the right circumstances.
In 2022, you gave this wild idea for a second Con Air movie. Now Nicolas Cage is rumored to return for Face/Off part 2, and he’s supposed to appear in the Lord of War sequel. If he continues this sequel trend and wants to do a Con Air 2, would that get you behind the camera to direct him?
Simon West: Definitely. I would always do anything with Nic Cage. I am a huge fan of Nic Cage. I have a great affection for Con Air, and I think he does, too. We’ve talked about it before, and I think if it’s done right, and we have a great script and we get as many people back as possible, I think it would be fun.
Do you still want it to be that wild idea of them in space or the super convicts?
Simon West: Yeah. I mean, that was just one idea. I think it could be underwater, it could be in space, it could be in a parallel universe. It could be all sorts of things. As long as it’s fun and entertaining like the first one, then I don’t think people would mind where it was.
Some serious hurdles might need to be overcome to make this movie happen, but there’s always hope. West continues to grow as a director, and Cage never stops challenging himself in acting. We can just cross our fingers and hope this one happens.