Andrew Niccol’s Lords of War Levels Up as Sylvia Hoeks and Greg Tarzan Davis Join Nicolas Cage

Nicolas Cage is back to sell the world some very bad ideas. Andrew Niccol is making a sequel to his 2005 arms-dealer thriller, and two new faces just climbed aboard. Sylvia Hoeks and Greg Tarzan Davis are joining 'Lords of War,' and yes, it is exactly the father-versus-son powder keg that title suggests.

What the sequel is about

"In 'Lords of War,' Yuri Orlov (Nicolas Cage), the world’s most notorious gunrunner, discovers he has a son, Anton (Bill Skarsgård), who isn’t trying to right his father’s wrongs – he’s trying to top them. Not only selling guns but the 'trigger pullers' too, Anton is amassing a mercenary army to fight America’s Middle East conflicts. This is the story of Yuri and Anton’s bitter rivalry – even at odds over the same woman. Who will prevail when father and son go to war?"

That 'trigger pullers' bit is doing a lot of work. Also, father and son clashing over the same woman? Messy. For context, Yuri Orlov is a composite character inspired by multiple real-world arms dealers, just like the original film laid out.

The new recruits

Sylvia Hoeks, who you probably remember as Luv in 'Blade Runner 2049' or as Queen Kane on Apple TV+ drama 'See,' has wrapped Lina Roessler’s 'So Much for Love.' That one stars Hoeks alongside Finn Wittrock and Tim Bensch, and centers on Sam Davies, a rich guy living off a trust fund who hits 35, gets cut off, and has to actually work for a year — cue his move from Hollywood to La Grange, Kentucky.

Greg Tarzan Davis first popped up on the big screen in 2019 with 'The Call of the Wild' opposite Harrison Ford, then rode the 'Top Gun: Maverick' wave. After that, Tom Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie brought him into the final two 'Mission: Impossible' chapters as a character named Degas.

Who is doing what (and where)

• Title: 'Lords of War' — a sequel to Niccol’s 2005 'Lord of War'
• Writer-director: Andrew Niccol
• Cast: Nicolas Cage (Yuri Orlov), Bill Skarsgård (Anton), Laura Harrier, plus new additions Sylvia Hoeks and Greg Tarzan Davis
• Producers: Philippe Rousselet and Fabrice Gianfermi (the original film’s producers) via Vendome Pictures; Nicolas Cage producing via Saturn Films
• Executive producer: Bill Skarsgård
• Production: Cameras are set to roll later this month in Belgium and Morocco
• Company note: Vendome Pictures, the outfit behind 'CODA,' is steering the sequel

Why this could be spicy

Cage slipping back into Yuri’s shoes is already a hook, but pairing him against Skarsgård as a next-gen war profiteer who ups the ante with a mercenary army feels uncomfortably timely. Niccol doing a morally queasy thriller is kind of his home field, so expect sharp edges. And if you wanted a little scope: Belgium and Morocco shoots plus a cast that can do icy intensity (Hoeks) and high-octane action (Davis) should get you there.