Nicolas Cage can now add “replaced by Mickey Rourke” to the list of indignities he’s suffered during his long and once-promising career.
Variety reports that Rourke has stepped in for Cage in The Wrestler, the Darren Aronofsky-directed drama we discussed a few weeks ago. If you missed it then, or have somehow pushed it out of your brain, here’s the film’s delightful synopsis, cribbed from the original report:
The film…centers on Randy “The Ram” Robinson, a 1980s-era star pro wrestler who has become a burnt-out shell of his former self. After he has a heart attack during a small-time match, a doctor tells him he could die if he fights again.
In an effort to build a new life, Robinson takes a job at a deli, moves in with an aging stripper and tries to build a relationship with her son. But the prospect of a rematch with his old nemesis the Ayatollah proves too tempting to resist, even if it means risking his life.
Now that we read the synopsis again, it seems obvious that this role is totally more appropriate for Mickey Rourke. Good call, Darren Aronofsky!
Source: Variety
