Could Con Air 2 With Nicolas Cage Be Headed To Space?

Released at the tail end of the 90s, Con Air was an action-packed flick that perpetuated the stereotype of every action film having an explosion on its poster during that decade. It’s also one of the most intense Nicolas Cage projects ever filmed – and that’s saying something for the actor who channelled a real-life spirit of death into playing Ghost Rider. Yet, despite its immense box-office success, the lukewarm reception the film got upon its release might be to blame for the lack of a sequel. In a world where we got Speed 2: Cruise Control, why haven’t we still got a proper Con Air 2?

Uncage the Cage

The premise of Con Air is quite simple, as should be the case with every great action flick: an honourably discharged Ranger Sergeant returns home to his pregnant wife. Everything seems to be going just fine until he accidentally kills a drunk man who assaulted his wife. Cameron Poe (Nicholas Cage’s character) is given a ten-year sentence, but he manages to be paroled after eight years have passed.

However, before he can be reunited with his family, Poe has to travel in the Jailbird, which is a converted cargo plane that transports some of the most dangerous criminals in the penitentiary system. As is to be expected, these criminals hatch a plan to take over the plan and gain their freedom, and it’s up to Poe to put an end to their murderous plans.

Nicolas Cage is surprisingly restrained in this role as a military family man. Even though his hair is as crazy as it gets, Cage manages to look sane among some of the more deranged convicts aboard the Jailbird. Cage’s character, Cameron Poe, is also a great example of the gritty action hero of the 90s. Still following the Die Hard archetype, Poe is a no-nonsense kind of guy who, even if he’s supposed to be the good guy, seldom plays by the rules.

A Potential Success

Made on a $75 million budget, Con Air took everyone by storm with its gripping action and likeable characters. In the end, the movie made over $220 million at the box office, which made it one of Cage’s most successful films to date.

While the story of Cameron Poe ended up quite nicely, that’s not something that has ever stopped the Hollywood sequel machine before. We’re used to seeing action flicks end in a satisfying way (First Blood, John Wick, Jarhead), only to be turned into a franchise some years later. The demand for great action films is always there: they aren’t cheap, sure, but they always draw in a considerable audience.

Taking into consideration how popular Nicholas Cage has become thanks to the internet culture of the 2010s, a sequel to Con Air starring an aged Cameron Poe would be a no-brainer. Sure, having the characters escape from a plane yet again would be just a little too on the nose, but that doesn’t mean that a sequel has to follow the exact formula of its predecessor.

Let’s go back to Speed 2. The first Speed film featured a bus, while its sequel has a cruise ship. Even then, both films share the same name, even though they left Keanu Reeves out of the equation.

We’re in the middle of a Nicolas Cage renaissance thanks to movies like Color Out of Space and Pig. It would be great to see everyone’s favourite madman return to one of his sanest roles, even if it would mean returning Poe to prison just for a little while more.

UPDATE: Con Air 2 – The Final Frontier?

Space is the final frontier for the brave crew of the USS Enterprise – and for the many movie sequels wishing to jump the ultimate shark. We’ve seen the likes of Airplane II and even F9 make the interstellar jump before, a twist that absolutely no one could have seen coming. Now, it seems Con Air 2 might follow the same path.

I mean, let’s face it: the original Con Air was never meant as a realistic thriller. Perhaps that’s why director Simon West, who helmed the first flick, believes the next Con Air should leave Earth’s atmosphere. West has pitched his crazy ideas for Con Air 2 more than once. First mentioned as a joke, West commented he’d be open to the idea of setting the sequel in a spaceship or even a “Version where they’re all robots or the convicts are reanimated as super-convicts.” West was clear then that the only way he’d return for Con Air 2 was if there was a crazy enough idea for him to bring back Cameron Poe.

However, in a more recent interview with Den of Geek, West stated he’s now more “Open” to the idea of making a sequel. This change of heart, according to West, happened after he noticed the emerging popularity of space tourism. “We’ve got people like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Richard Branson setting up these companies to privatize space,” says West. The filmmaker then mentions how Con Air 2 could poke fun at the idea of these space travels, keeping the original film’s ironic edge.

The movie, according to West, would play like your typical plane heist flick – with the caveat that this one is set in space. Just the idea of having a manic Nic Cage running around a spaceship as he fights terrorists sounds too good to be true. If West manages to lift this sequel off the ground, Con Air 2 is most certainly going to space.

Who Will Return For The Con Air Sequel?

Most of the cast has shown optimism over the years surrounding the possibility of a Con Air sequel. From John Cusack to Nic Cage and even John Malkovich, a Con Air reunion has been on the cards for these celebrities since the original movie’s release.

Before even considering a sequel, West commented on the importance of a great script to justify resurrecting the franchise after more than two decades. A sequel has to “Pay homage to the original,” says West, citing Top Gun: Maverick as the perfect way of doing a legacy sequel.

Con Air holds a special place in West’s career. After all, it was the filmmaker’s first feature film – one that would define his directing style for years to come. “I do have a lot more nostalgia and affection for it now than I did back then,” the director told Den of Geek, expressing enthusiasm over how beloved among fans the action flick has become over the years.

While most discussions regarding a sequel are mere speculation and wishful thinking at this point, don’t be surprised if Con Air 2 soon becomes a reality. And with it, Space Nicolas Cage.

Tell us, would you like a Con Air 2? What about a Hancock 2, Brightburn 2 or a Dredd 2?