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What about National Treasure 2? Jerry Bruckheimer says you’re very involved with the development of that one.
Nicolas Cage: “I think National Treasure is a good one because there are worse things to do than stimulate young people to look in their history books. There is no gunfire; there is no body count. It’s really good entertainment for everybody and I enjoy that. I like the idea of playing a historical detective. This one is going to involve Abraham Lincoln and John Wilkes Booth and the Booth diary and Confederate gold. It has the potential to be more interesting than the first.
And then Ghost Rider, for me, is probably closer to my heart, because of what I said earlier of my interests in the possibilities of the spiritual and the material with this part. I think we are living in pretty scary times and people are looking for inspiration, and are also more open to the spiritual possibilities.”
Do we know who the villain is going to be in National Treasure 2?
Nicolas Cage: “I don’t know a thing. I don’t know what they are doing. That’s a whole separate kind of machine at this point. They are over there putting things together. When they are ready, they will give me a call and let me know what’s happening.”
What comic do you think should be made into a movie that hasn’t?
Nicolas Cage: “Well, I’m really done. I think Ghost Rider is my guy and I’m going to stick with that, but if I had to pay my $7 bucks or $8 bucks…”
Eva Mendes: “It’s like $9.50 (laughing).”
Nicolas Cage: “Oh, wow. I would go to see the Sub-Mariner come to life. I want to see the water and all the animal life.”
Eva Mendes: “And She-Hulk.”
Nicolas Cage: “Oh, yeah. Well…that I’m working on.”
Would you produce that one?
Nicolas Cage: “I’m trying to put that together - as we speak.”
Eva Mendes: “You guys got to keep bugging him.”
Nicolas Cage: “I was talking to Avi [Arad]. Do you guys get it? Can’t you see it? That would be a fun movie wouldn’t it? Just you in a bikini just kicking a bunch of ass. Throwing cars…”
Eva Mendes: “Why would I have to be in a bikini?”
Nicolas Cage: “Because that’s how she’s dressed (laughing).”
The director said there could be an extended version of Ghost Rider. Can either of you remember scenes you shot that didn’t make it into the current version?
Nicolas Cage: “No. I hope they don’t do that because I think the movie is really right as it is right now. Like, I didn’t like it when they came out with Apocalypse Redux. It’s better just to keep it, I think, the way it was made to be. So, I’m not going to add to that.”
Eva Mendes: “I haven’t seen the movie. It’s the first time I’m waiting until the premiere, actually. I’ve never done this before, waited for the premiere. I will definitely have some wine before I go in, but it will be exciting.”
Do you have a problem watching yourself?
Eva Mendes: “The first run? Yeah. I hate everything the first run. I’m like, ‘That’s awful.’ I just think I’m terrible. And then I’m more forgiving the second time. So, I always see something for sure one time and then I make myself see it a second time. The second time is like, ‘Okay, I’m not that bad. I’m not that horrible.’ But the first time I just think I’m god-awful.”
Are you also doing a cameo in Grindhouse?
Nicolas Cage: “My friend Rob Zombie, I know him only socially. I like him. He’s a nice man. We have good memories together over the years. He said would I do this part of Fu Manchu and I said sure. One day, two lines, I mean it was just completely ridiculous. I haven’t seen it. I’m not in any of the movies. Two seconds -- that’s it.”
What if Entertainment Weekly ends up giving Ghost Rider a very good review?
Nicolas Cage: “It doesn’t really matter. I don’t have any faith in anything they say. So they can say something good or something bad, I don’t really care. I’m just saying that I think it’s a mistake if you refer to that magazine religiously as your guide as to whether or not you’re going to see a movie or not. You’re shooting yourself in the foot, because they don’t get it. They can’t think outside the box. They are very narrow-minded. So it doesn’t really matter if they say anything nice or bad, I really can’t take it seriously.”
Can you talk about any other upcoming projects?
Nicolas Cage: “Yeah, National Treasure 2 is all I have up next. And you?”
Eva Mendes: “I did my first real like dramatic role last year with Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Wahlberg and Robert Duvall. It’s called We Own The Night, directed by James Gray, which I’m really excited about. And then I produced my first independent film. It’s a small film but we got it done and it’s called Live. It just got accepted to the Tribeca Film Festival. I’m really proud, because it’s a real indie, indie, indie. I mean, the budget was nothing. We scrambled and we got it together and we did it.
Right now I’m working on a film called Cleaner with Ed Harris. It’s so cute, and Samuel Jackson… That’s another drama. I kind of got hooked being directed by James Gray. I kind of love the torture of dramas, and I’m kind in that place right now. I play this widow and it’s very dramatic.”
Nicolas Cage: “But Entertainment Weekly is more like a tabloid. So, if you are going to get a tabloid, get the National Enquirer because at least they have a horoscope. Why the extra dollar getting Entertainment Weekly when you can get a horoscope with the National Enquirer?"
Eva Mendes: “Did you just make that up? That’s very funny.”
Nicolas Cage: “I was thinking about it the whole time [you were speaking].”
Eva Mendes: “That’s right you were!” (Laughs)
Eva, what comic books did you read as a girl?
Eva Mendes: “The Barbie comic book? I don’t know. I was a Barbie girl. I just recently got into comic books because of Mr. Cage.”
Nicolas Cage: “It’s so great to be honest, isn’t it? It’s so liberating.”
