Nicolas Cage compares the next "Longles" to a twisted "Pinocchio": I play a "possessed Geppetto"

There may be two "Pinocchio" movies on the horizon, but Nicolas Cage has just dropped an unexpectedly twisted version of the beloved classic.

Cage is set to star in and executive produce the upcoming horror flick "Longlegs," written and directed by Osgood Perkins ("The Blackcoat's Daughter"). Filming is set to begin in 2023 and the feature film will be in the vein of classic Hollywood psychological thrillers. While plot details were previously under wraps, Cage teased some spoilers during a chat with horror icon John Carpenter for .

"I work with Oz [Perkins], who you probably know," Cage told Carpenter. "He's pretty strong in the horror genre right now. But he's actually Anthony [Perkins' son]. He made some really good movies. 'Gretel and Hansel' was terrific."

Cage continued of "Longles," "It's about a character who hears voices. It's kind of like a possessed Geppetto, who makes these dolls."

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The tale of two (or three?) "Pinocchios" continues with Guillermo del Toro's stop-motion feature for Netflix and Robert Zemeckis' upcoming Disney+ movie. David Bradley plays Geppetto in del Toro's feature film, with Tom Hanks playing the old toymaker in the Disney film.

The Cage previously shared in April 2022 that he hopes to explore the horror genre by collaborating with Robert Eggers and Ari Aster in the future. Of course, the "Raising Arizona" alum is also ready to return to his comedic roots.

"Right now, I'm thrilled that comedy is back on the menu. It's been gone, god damn it, 15 years. It's good that I have the opportunity to do more comedy" ", Cage said earlier this year. "But I've never done a musical. That would be something I would be interested in."

Next up, Cage will direct the comedy “Renfield” as Dracula, a role he said was completely “gothic” for opposite Nicholas Hoult and Awkwafina. Cage is also slated to star in Kristoffer Borgli's action flick "Sympathy for the Devil," "Dream Scenario," revenge flick "The Old Way," and survival thriller "Sand and Stones."

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Still, Cage probably won't venture into television, at least not yet. The Oscar-winning actor told IndieWire that he's "still primarily interested in what I can do with movies, whether they're streaming or in theaters," despite the rise of limited series streaming. p>

"I like the finished look of about two hours. But I don't know if I ever really wanted to be trapped in one place for six months to a year with a bunch of people I want to be with or not phasing in," Cage said. "It seems like a pretty daunting task. I like being able to go in and out with movies and exploring different places."

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