Nicolas Cage Becomes Viral Star in ‘Dream Scenario’ Trailer

Nicolas Cage, balding and wearing wool sweaters, is a meek husband, father and academic who suddenly becomes a viral sensation when he seeps into the dreams of random strangers in the new trailer for Kristoffer Borgli’s A24 satirical comedy Dream Scenario.

The pic, which bowed at the Toronto Film Festival ahead of a Thanksgiving release, sees Cage play Paul Matthews, whose newfound stardom becomes a nightmare when his nighttime appearances complicate the lives of those around him.

“I’m not actually doing anything to them,” Matthews pleads at one point in the trailer as the comedy takes a dark turn when the role he plays in people’s dreams undermines his celebrity status. Dream Scenario also stars Julianne Nicholson, Michael Cera, Tim Meadows, Dylan Gelula and Dylan Baker.

Norwegian filmmaker Borgli wrote and directed his English-language film debut after the breakout success of the black comedy Sick of Myself, while Ari Aster (Beau Is Afraid, Midsommar) produces.

During Toronto, The Hollywood Reporter reviewer Michael Rechtshaffen said of Dream Scenario: “Nicolas Cage has never been as flat-out hilarious as he is in Kristoffer Borgli’s gleefully dark, savagely sharp satire … The star takes a whiny victim role and turns it into a master class in reactive comic acting.”

Cage’s performance in Dream Scenario out of Toronto has already prompted chatter that he could be in contention for awards for his role in the surrealist comedy that serves as a satire of today’s social media culture and its impact on people’s day-to-day interactions.

Dream Scenario will show up in theaters starting Nov. 10, before going wide Nov. 22.