Nicolas Cage will voice a vodka-drinking dragon in a Highfire TV show, which is in development at Amazon. Cage, who won an Oscar for his role in Leaving Las Vegas, has had an extensive and wide-ranging career. Now, in one of his first television roles, Cage will tackle the role of an isolated dragon.
Per Deadline, Cage will voice Highfire, a vodka-consuming, Flashdance-obsessed dragon in a live-action television adaptation of Highfire. Penned by Artemis Fowl author Eoin Colfer, Highfire is an offbeat adult fantasy novel that was released earlier this year. Resembling Pete’s Dragon meets True Detective, Highfire centers on Lord Highfire – now known simply as “Vern” – a once-powerful dragon who has succumbed to isolation in Louisiana’s Honey Island Swamp. After crossing paths and developing an unexpected friendship with human teenager Squib, Vern is suddenly faced with a rambunctious adventure.
Highfire is in the creative hands of producers Cage and Davey Holmes (Shameless). Amazon appears adamant about padding up its catalog with fantasy content as the streaming service currently has series adaptations of Lord of the Rings and Wheel of Time in the works. As for Cage, the actor shows no signs of slowing down. Currently, Cage has numerous projects on the horizon, including tackling the role of Joe Exotic in a scripted Tiger King TV show. While it remains to be seen how Highfire will translate to the small screen, Cage’s star power and Colfer’s trademark style could produce a winner for Amazon.