Nicolas Cage to Star in Action Film 'Primal'

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The film about a big game hunter on a deadly trip hauling exotic animals is set to begin shooting Oct. 23 in Puerto Rico.

Nicolas Cage is tapping his Primal instincts.

The actor is set to star in a film directed by veteran stunt coordinator Nick Powell (The Bourne Identity, X-Men: The Last Stand, Cinderella Man), which centers on Frank Walsh (Cage), a big game hunter for zoos who has booked passage on a Greek shipping freighter with a fresh haul of exotic and deadly animals from the Amazon, including a rare white jaguar. However, the big cat isn't the most deadly creature on board. Richard Loffler, a political assassin being extradited to the U.S in secret, is also along for the ride. Two days into their journey, Loffler escapes the team of U.S. Marshals guarding him and releases the captive animals, throwing the ship into chaos. Walsh must now find a way to save the crew from not only the dangerous beasts, but also the mad man on the loose.

Primal marks the first project from financier Wonderfilm, which was launched by Kirk Shaw, Daniel Grodnik, Jeff Bowler and Bret Saxon and is based in Vancouver and Beverly Hills.

The film is set to begin shooting Oct. 23 in Puerto Rico.

The Exchange is selling international rights and is introducing the action pic to buyers in Toronto.

Penned by Richard Leder, Primal will be produced by Daniel Grodnik (Heist, Bobby, Powder) for Wonderfilm. Michael Becker is executive producing.

Cage recently hit the red carpet at the Toronto International Film Festival for the horror thriller Mom and Dad, which made its world premiere here and garnered strong reviews (The Hollywood Reporter called it "a deliciously lurid throwback to cult fare like Parents, Heathers, Serial Mom").

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