Nicolas Cage & Idris Elba Interview For ‘Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance’

It has been several years since making a deal with the Devil and Johnny Blaze (Nicolas Cage), living in self-imposed isolation, finds himself as the only person who can help save 10-year-old Danny – and ultimately the world – thanks to his unwanted and uncontrollable power – his ability to transform into the hell-on-wheels monster known as The Ghost Rider. Directed by Brian Taylor and Mark Neveldine (Crank, Gamer), the action flick ‘Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance’ opens February 17th, 2012. The film stars Nicolas Cage, Idris Elba, Johnny Whitworth, Ciarán Hinds, and Violante Placido. Check out what Cage and Elba had to say about the film below.

What new things were you able to add to Ghost Rider this time?

Nicolas Cage: An interesting story is that, when I was trying to think with Brian Taylor and with Mark Neveldine about how the Ghost Rider would move, because they both really wanted me to play Ghost Rider in this, I was thinking about trying to find something really weird, which would be like levitating in circles. We called it “the compass” together, to mess with how he would attack his enemies. And then, I looked up in the dictionary, and the word weird literally means ‘to turn around,’ so I thought that was an interesting thing. But it was like trying to design a body language from another dimension. We worked in a room together and looked at different animals – like cobras and insects, and tried to find ways of moving that would hopefully scare you and entertain you.

So it’s scarier this time?

Nicolas Cage: Oh yeah. When I did the first Ghost Rider, I wanted it to be like a Grimm’s fairy tale – scary! But still something that children could enjoy, like that first trip to the principal’s office, where you made a mistake and you’re in trouble, but don’t give up. You can still rise above and do something good with the experience. This one, with Mark and Brian, will go into the wonderful bliss of the nightmare imagination. I think it will be very entertaining. I haven’t seen anything yet, but they’re excited.

What was it like to work with Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor for this?

Idris Elba: I was a fan of their work, what I like about their films is that you actually feel the momentum of whatever they’re shooting. So if someone’s falling out a window, it gives the opportunity to show what that might feel like. This film adopts, I would say, some of that. I liken them to being a hybrid between an actor, a sweaty crew member, and a director. That’s what they’re like, they do it all. That for me was a great part of bringing my character to life because I do a lot of action stuff.

I read you both do the majority of your stunts. Were there any stunts that really stood out for you, that really pushed your personal limits?

Nicolas Cage: All the wirework was very stimulating, but also very nauseating, literally. I was going around in circles, upside down, and I really trying not to throw up because it kept spinning and spinning. It’s one of my favorite things that we all came up with together, so I’m glad it’s there – it was well worth it.

Idris Elba: When I was nineteen, I fell off a motorcycle and never wanted to get onto one again until this movie. Brian was like, “No man, I want you to do the stunts.“ I was like, “What did the insurance company say?” And he said, “I don’t know, but you’re doing your stunts.” (Laughs) I love bikes, but I had been nervous about getting on one. With this film, for me the boundary was doing these stunts down a Romanian highway on a bike. It was good fun though.

Who is your character in the film?

Idris Elba: In the history of the comic there’s a character that keeps coming up called Moreau, and he never really takes on the same form, he does a different type of Moreau in the whole series. So Moreau is a character that comes from different types of Moreau, but in this film, he is a warrior monk – that’s how he’s described. Basically his journey is that he has this mission to find the Ghost Rider and take the Ghost Rider on a journey with him. My character is definitely the sidekick of the Ghost Rider, he’s a pretty cool sidekick. I had fun playing him. He’s a French drunk monk.

With comic books, what’s it like to be in this moment in time, when all these characters you loved as a kid are being loved by the masses?

Nicolas Cage: I actually had a vision of it when I was nine, that this was going to happen. It took a while because we didn’t have the technology to make them come to life so magnificently as we do today. It was always so goofy, the stupid costumes of Spider-Man in the old movies in the 60’s and 70’s, and Captain America. But now it’s become all the rage because there’s something in it for everybody. It’s perfect entertainment. It’s exciting for me, I love seeing all the movies happen. I loved the movie Idris made. I was just telling him earlier that I thought ‘Thor’ was wonderful.

Idris Elba: Thanks!