After much delay, it looks like Andrew Niccol’s “Lord of War” sequel will finally start production this month. I thought this one might be dead, but it’s very much alive, and ready to go.
In the 2005 film, Nicolas Cage played illegal arms dealer Yuri Orlov, inspired by the stories of several real-life arms dealers and smugglers, but, primarily, Viktor Bout. The film dealt head-on with the issue of illicit arms trafficking by the international arms industry. It was, and still is, an incredibly relevant story.
Cage is set to return. Bill Skarsgård will play Orlov’s son in the sequel. Laura Harrier Is there as well in an undisclosed role. Variety is reporting the cast has been locked. Sylvia Hoeks (“Blade Runner 2049”) and Greg Tarzan Davis (“Top Gun: Maverick”) complete the ensemble.
I really liked “Lord of War,” which featured one of Cage’s best performances. Niccol will be back to write and direct the sequel which is set to shoot in numerous countries including Morocco, Libya, Egypt, Senegal and Mali. The budget for this one might be fairly high.
In the sequel, Orlov discovers he has a son, Anton (Skarsgård), who is trying to top his father’s wrongs rather than stop them as he launches a mercenary army to interfere in America’s Middle East conflicts. The tension between father and son intensifies, spilling over into bitter rivalries, even over the same women.
Niccol, best known for writing “The Truman Show” and directing the great “Gattaca,” hasn’t been as active in the film scene in recent years. His last film was 2018’s ill-received “Anon.” These last ten years, Niccol has been struggling to make a good movie, his last few have been pretty bad: “In Time,” “The Host,” “Good Kill” all came and went without much fanfare. Here’s hoping ‘Lords of War 2’ puts him back on track.
Meanwhile, Cage keeps piling up the projects. On IMDB, he has 120 acting credits to his name. Last year, he was in Lorcan Finnegan’s “The Surfer,” Osgood Perkins’ “Longlegs” and Benjamin Brewer’s “Arcadian.”
Cage has been very busy this year. He had two B-movies already released (“The Gunslingers,” “The Carpenter’s Son”) and shot David O. Russell’s “Madden.” He’s also the lead in Sony’s “Spider-Noir” series and recently shot the David Mamet-penned “The Prince” which is inspired by the life and times of one Hunter Biden.