USA: Nicolas Cage and Julianne Moore star in "Next," an action thriller that examines what happens when one man can see the immediate future

The future is never certain, except for one man. "Next," which stars Nicolas Cage and Julianne Moore, is a sci-fi tale of a magician who can actually see a few minutes into the future. Filled with action-packed scenes and death-defying stunts, the thriller promises a wild ride when it opens on April 27. Nicolas Cage stars as a Las Vegas magician that can see into the immediate future in the sci-fi thriller, "Next." Also starring Julianne Moore and Jessica Biel, the film questions the morality of a man who must decide whether to use his extrasensory talents to aid the greater good. Cage plays Cris Johnson, a showroom magician that has the ability to see two minutes into the future. Sick of the examinations he underwent as a child and the interest of the government, Cris lives a low-profile life in Las Vegas, living off of easy "winnings." But when a terrorist group gets ready to detonate a nuclear bomb in Los Angeles, Chris is forced into helping the government find the bomb. The idea for Cris to be a Las Vegas Magician was the brainchild of Cage. He thought it would be the most realistic career choice for someone that could see the future. "It occurred to me that it would be a really lonely life, unless he was able to hide the gift in plain sight, so he could say 'oh, it's just a magic act, that's part of my act,' because it would be very hard for people to want to be around you if you knew what they were going to do," said Cage. "Next" is full of action-packed scenes that required major physical endurance from Cage; including incorporating modern dance moves to allow his character to appear more fluid and in-control. Lucky for him, Cage is no stranger to physical work. "Fortunately, I work out and I try to stay, keep my endurance level high, so it wasn't too difficult. The main thing was just not landing on my head," said Cage. Starring alongside Cage is Julianne Moore, who plays government agent Callie Ferris. Ferris is forced to hunt down Cris and use all her wiles to convince him to help stop the terrorists from detonating the bomb. Moore said she was drawn to the part because in Hollywood, females rarely play the antagonist to a male hero. Said Moore, "It's fun to play somebody who has their own agenda, who's not concerned with the hero's agenda. Generally, you'll see a female character who's sort of all about the hero, you know, 'what can I do to help you hero? Maybe, can fall in love with you, hero.' All that kind of stuff. And I didn't have to do any of that; it was all just about her following her own thing." Playing Cage's romantic lead is actress Jessica Biel, known for action films like "Blade" and "Stealth." She said one of the highlights of working on "Next" was not having to be so physical. "It was great not to have to worry about the choreography. It was great not to have to be on a crazy workout plan, or learning for months and months different stunts and different scenes. That was nice because I felt like the pressure was sort of off. But it was also wonderful to explore more emotional, sensitive, feminine person, and let Julianne and Nic take the rest of it," said Biel. With car chases, explosions, and a nuclear bomb, Cage's latest race-and-chase is definitely an action-packed ride. Audiences can see if the thrills pay off when "Next" opens on April 27.

ITN Source | April 19, 2007

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