Nicolas Cage Oscar Nomination for ‘Longlegs’ is Now a Very Real Possibility

Directed by Osgood Perkins, Longlegs, starring Nicolas Cage, Maika Monroe, Blair Underwood, and more, is a horror thriller movie set in the 1990s. The story follows an FBI agent assigned to track down an occultist serial killer who is responsible for murdering families throughout the state of Oregon. Cage plays the serial killer in the movie.

Upon release, the movie received critical acclaim and became Neon’s highest-grossing movie to date. The network used guerilla-marketing tactics similar to the ones used for The Blair Witch Project to hype the project and draw the audience’s attention. The performances of the actors in the movie were highly appreciated, and the network is doing whatever it takes to get Nicolas Cage the credit he deserves.

Nicolas Cage’s Longlegs to be nominated at the Oscars?

Known for his versatile acting, Nicolas Cage’s characters usually have a cult following, and the actor embraces it. He is one of the most influential and respected talents in the industry who has been a part of movies including Adaptation, Gone in 60 Seconds, the Ghost Rider film series, the National Treasure film series, and more.

The actor impressed the audience and critics when he appeared as Longlegs, a serial killer in Osgood Perkins’ Longlegs. The movie was released in July 2024 and was highly appreciated. In his interview with EW, Cage mentioned that he channeled a lot of his character’s personality after recalling his late mother, Joy Vogelsang, who struggled with schizophrenia and severe depression. He said,

I was coming at it from; what exactly was it that drove my mother insane? It was a deeply personal kind of performance for me because I grew up trying to cope with what she was going through. She would talk in terms that were kind of poetry. I didn’t know how else to describe it.

Cage further said that he tried to put all of that in the character he played in Longlegs because he is really a tragic entity. The character is at the mercy of the voices that are talking to him and getting him to do things. Nicolas Cage’s dedication to playing the character didn’t go unnoticed, as the audience appreciated his performance.

Now, according to industry insider (@mavericksmovies) Will Mavity, the network Neon is pushing an FYC campaign to nominate Nicolas Cage for Best Supporting Actor. Fans also agree that Cage’s exceptional work in the movie deserves recognition. The actor was last nominated at the Academy Awards in 2002 for Adaptation.

The actor had shared with THR that he crafted both his character’s look and voice alongside Perkins. He pointed out that he called the director at 4:30 in the morning on Christmas Day, giving him sound bites of him rehearsing the dialogue.

Maika Monroe didn’t see Nicolas Cage’s Longlegs transformation until they filmed a scene

In an interview with IndieWire, the actress Maika Monroe, who plays an FBI agent tasked with finding the satanic serial killer, shares how shocked and overwhelmed she got when she saw Nicolas Cage’s transformed look. But it wasn’t until the director said “action.”

Oz wanted to keep us completely separate. No one showed me any photos of him; Oz wanted it to be a complete surprise for that scene when we interact for the first time. Just imagine that. It was completely shocking and overwhelming. The first time I met him, the cameras were rolling and they called action. I opened the door, and there he was.

The actress recalled that it was insane, adding that the legendary actor had transformed completely. Monroe acknowledged that the transformed Nicolas Cage had no trace of Nicolas Cage in him, which she said was very much like a method actor. She also added that the character is very disturbing, to say the least.

Maika Monroe also appreciated the director for keeping Cage’s transformation a surprise for her and getting a real reaction out of her. She also appreciated the network’s marketing tactics by stating that it’s a brilliant way to market the movie, explaining that nowadays there is so much media that everything just gets out easily.

On Cage’s last day of filming, Monroe recalled that they were sitting across from each other, and he just goes, ‘By the way, I’m a really big fan of yours.’ She added that it felt so surreal to her. With such compliments and appreciation, it would be a bummer if the movie didn’t make it to the nomination list for Nicolas Cage.

Longlegs can be streamed as VOD on Prime Video and Apple TV.