Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions are looking to catch a box office wave after picking up the North American rights to The Surfer, the psychological thriller from director Lorcan Finnegan that stars Nicolas Cage as a beach bum on the edge of sanity.
With a 2025 theatrical release set, the fourth feature from the Vivarium director and screenwriter Thomas Martin has Cage playing a father who returns with his son to his beachside hometown in Australia after building a life for himself in the U.S.
As Cage’s character takes on a local gang of surfers claiming ownership of Luna Bay, the secluded beach of his childhood on Australia’s south-western coast, their confrontation escalates and the stakes spin wildly out of control.
“Lorcan’s movie is a stunning visual experience with an incredible palette, coupled with Nicolas Cage at his absolute best,” Lauren Bixby, senior vp of acquisitions and co-productions at the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, said in a statement.
The Surfer, which was shot in Australia and debuted out of competition in Cannes, also stars Julian McMahon, Nic Cassim, Miranda Tapsell, Alexander Bertrand, Justin Rosniak, Rahel Romahn, Finn Little and Charlotte Maggi. The producer credits are shared by Cage, Darby, James Harris, Robert Connolly, James Grandison, Brunella Cocchiglia and Nathan Klingher.
Apur Parikh, Robert Patterson, Lorcan Finnegan, Mark Lane, Michael Rothstein, Sam Hall, Ford Corbett, Mark Fasano, Ryan Winterstern, Josh Harris, Greg Friedman, Jatin Desai, and François Tétaz are executive producing.
The distribution deal for The Surfer was brokered by WME Independent for the filmmakers. North Five Six is handling international sales.
