The Many Faces of Nicolas Cage

Can any other actor pull off Cage Faces like Nicolas Cage?

We may find out: (via The Hollywood Reporter)

Lionsgate has picked up Action No. 1, a heist comedy from writers and Reno 911! creatorsRobert Ben Garant andThomas Lennon. The duo also is producing along withPeter Principato and Paul Young.

The story revolves around a group of nerds who attempt to steal Cage’s copy of Action Comics No. 1, the landmark 1938 comic that introduced the world to the Man of Steel.

The theft of Cage’s comic made real-world headlines in 2000. The issue was missing until 2011, when it was discovered among the contents of an abandoned storage locker. It sold for a record $2.1 million at auction in November. To comic-book fans, the story of the book’s theft and its ultimate recovery is as thrilling as any tale of a stolen Monet or Degat.

The part of Cage was written with the real Cage in mind, but at this stage, it’s unlikely that Cage will play himself. Jason Statham’s name has surfaced in connection with the project, but sources say he is not involved. (It was not known who Statham would play; the actor already played the leader of a heist in The Bank Job but has yet to tackle the role of a comics fanboy.)