Nicolas Cage to direct himself in Vengeance: A Love Story after director pulls out

The drama thriller was in pre-production with Becker at the helm, but the director and producers reportedly reached a roadblock over a budget dispute. Sources tell Deadline that they were at loggerheads over a $1 million cut. “The financier thought it could be done for less and Becker thought it would affect the quality of the film so, they shook hands and said, it’s not going to work out, good-bye,” said an insider.

Moving forward, there will hopefully not be any more major disagreements over money. The fact that Cage has worked extensively with producer and financial backer Michael Mendelsohn in the past is certainly promising. Their collaborations span decades, with work including 1990’s Wild at Heart, 2000’s The Family Man, 2016’s USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage, and more.

Cage is better known for his acting roles than for turns in the director’s chair, but he did helm the 2002 crime thriller Sonny. Unfortunately, the movie wasn’t exactly a ratings darling; Sonny‘s “fresh” rating on Rotton Tomatoes‘ Tomatometer is a mere 23 percent.

In Vengeance: A Love Story, Cage will play a detective involved with a violent rape case. The film will examine how the victim, a mother, is affected by the attack and subsequent trial, as well as the impact it has on her own mother and daughter. The script was penned by John Mankiewicz and is based on a 2003 novella by Joyce Carol Oates.

Becker, having worked on the script with Mankiewicz over the years, will still be credited as an executive producer on the project. Mike Nilon of Link Entertainment and Richard Rionda Del Castro also executive produce.

Vengeance: A Love Story is set to begin production in April and the film is expected to hit theaters in 2017.