'Ghost Rider' Star Nicolas Cage Set to Direct 'Vengeance: A Love Story'

The Ghost Rider star Nicolas Cage has not directed a feature film in almost 14 years. Now, after spending a while away from the director's chair, Cage is all set to direct independent thriller film, Vengeance: A Love Story, in which he will also serve as the protagonist.

Earlier it was reported that Sea of Love director, Harold Becker, will direct the Cage starrer, Vengeance: A Love Story. However, the director left the project during the pre-production stage. According to Deadline, there was a dispute between Becker and the producer of the film as they wanted to trim the budget by $1 million dollars and the creative and financial disagreement made the director leave the project.

Now, Cage, who has worked with producer/financier Michael Mendelsohn in many ventures, has stepped in to helm the project as a director.

Vengeance: A Love Story is based on Joyce Carol Oates' novel. The story is about Cage's character, who works as a Niagra Falls Police detective and becomes impassioned with a case that swirls around a brutal rape of a young mother of a 12-year-old girl. When the rapist, who is also a meth addict, is caught, the parents hire a slick criminal defense attorney who then puts the victim on trial. The story deals with the lives of three women who are affected by this -- the mother, the 12-year-old girl and the mother of the rape victim.

After taking on the project as the director, Cage stated that he is very excited to work on Oates' novel and to bring it to 70mm. The actor, who is also working on Dog Eat Dog, was quoted by Variety  as saying:

"Storytelling has always been my passion and I'm honored to work with this talented team to tell a tale of the suffering too many women have endured."

Nicolas Cage to direct, star in 'Vengeance: A Love Story' https://t.co/b4JaVGdojC pic.twitter.com/vbiWt2VPMm

— Hollywood Reporter (@THR) March 8, 2016

Vengeance: A Love Story is likely to go on floors by the end of this year and may hit the theaters in 2017.