The actor has also been hard at work on a sports biopic in which he’s unrecognizable
NICOLAS Cage stars as Jesus’ dad Joseph in a new biblical horror movie in which Satan attempts to corrupt his young son.
The first look at The Carpenter’s Son sees Cage, 61, ominously declare on a clifftop, “What awaits us when we turn at last to death?”
Fear looms large over the two minute trailer, and Cage’s belief in God is the only thing that can help him combat a demonic force intent on tempting his son down a dark path.
He says, “Let my faith endure. Faith. My only strength to bear against the devil itself.”
The film is set in a remote village in Roman-era Egypt, and sees nomadic Joseph open up about his family‘s struggles.
“For years we live in hiding, driven from every home,” he says.
He acknowledges his son has abilities beyond his comprehension, accepting The Boy “bears a power I cannot understand. A power I cannot contain.”
The Stranger, played by Isla Johnston, is introduced and it quickly becomes apparent she’s not the innocent young girl she first seems.
She tells The Boy (Noah Jupe), “I’m the accuser of life. I am the adversary. And why I am here?”
He answers, “To torment me.”
The Stranger, whose real name ‘Satan’ is later exposed, sets about luring The Boy to abandon his father’s devout rules and embrace a forbidden world.
All the while, fiercely protective Joseph and wife Mary (FKA Twigs) struggle to comprehend the demonic power circling their family.
The Boy is pulled toward temptation, exhibiting frighteningly violent and unnatural powers, as Joseph suffocates under the weight of his helplessness; a mere mortal man with only his beliefs for comfort.
At its heart, The Carpenter’s Son uses the foundations of Christianity – in particular the Infancy Gospel of Thomas – as the backdrop for a tale exploring what it feels like to parent a child with a terrifying destiny.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, reaction to the film has been mixed with many unhappy by the manner in which Jesus’ childhood has been adapted into a horror.
One went so far as to call it a “blasphemous mess”.
Another person wrote on X, “Hollywood be like…. We’ve run out of comics and fairy tales. Time to give Jesus a horror reboot.”
A third said, “Soooo this is kinda like when Hollywood made that Noah movie. People who understand NOTHING about Christ or scripture write some of the worst stuff ever. Christ is the King of the universe. Not some bumbling weirdo. Joseph was a great man.”
A fourth wrote, “That’s either going to be cinema history… or the wildest fever dream ever put on screen. Either way, I’m watching lmfao.”
It’s been a busy year for Cage, who also plays the lead role in sports biopic Madden.
Starring as iconic football figure John Madden, he’s supported by Christian Bale as Al Davis, the owner of the Oakland Raiders.
Directed by David O. Russell, the story follows the life of Madden, focusing on his journey from a Super Bowl-winning coach of the Raiders to his time as a commentator and his role in the creation of the Madden NFL video game series.
