Nicholas Cage is a strange film entity. He has developed a manic energy that can be harnessed into compelling work by the right filmmakers. Of course in the hands of the wrong filmmakers he is just all over the place in a crazy mess.

Usually a good sign of what type of Cage performance you are going to get can be found in the supporting cast around him. Deadline has scored the first look at some stills from his newest movie complete with a few of his fellow cast-mates:

The movie written and directed by Scott Walker revolves around Alaska’s most notorious serial predator Robert Hansen (Cusack), who in the span of 12 years abducted more than 24 women, flew them into the Alaskan wilderness, and hunted and murdered them. Hudgens plays the one teenage victim who escaped, and Cage plays the Alaskan State Trooper who finds her on the street — together they work to bring Hansen to justice.

Sounds a little like Kiss the Girls, but given the true story angle and Alaska setting this should stand well enough on its own. What is most interesting about this film is the almost against type roles for both Cage and Cusack. This could be a nice change of pace for both actors.

Moneyball was a great film and it was very interesting to watch Jonah Hill stand toe to toe with Brad Pitt and deliver Aaron Sorkin dramatic dialogue like a pro. So the news that he has signed on to a new dramatic feature is exciting.

Deadline is reporting that Jonah Hill will be joining forces with James Franco, himself another actor fully capable in drama or comedy, for the upcoming film True Story. A film about a New York Times journalist who’s identity had been stolen by a wanted murder while on the run from authorities.

Like Moneyball, this is another opportunity for Hill to veer from his comic persona. He will play Finkel, who was a writer at The New York Times Magazine in 2002 when he learned that Christian Longo was captured in Mexico after a long stint on the FBI Ten Most Wanted List for killing his family. The strange part was that he had been living under the identity of Finkel.

The very next day, the real Finkel was fired by the editors of The Times, right after they ran an editor’s note declaring that he had falsified parts of an investigative article. His career seemed over, until Longo (who’ll be played by Franco) declared that the real Finkel was the only journalist he would talk to. 

Sounds very interesting, hopefully we are just getting to meet a whole new side to Jonah Hill.