Nicolas Cage's Money Woes Are So 2009

A new year means a new start for Nicolas Cage.

The Oscar winner, who has recently encountered countless financial woes, is making good on years-old payments owed to the IRS, confirms People.

"Over the course of my career I have paid at least $70 million in taxes, unfortunately, due to a recent legal situation, another approximate $14 million is owed to the IRS," Cage explains, referring to the nearly $6 million tax lien the federal agency placed on his property late last year.

Cage has vehemently denied any wrongdoing, blaming bad business deals on his current troubles, but says that it's now all a thing of the past. "However, I am under new business management and am happy to say that I am current for 2009," the actor explains, "all taxes will be paid including any to be determined state taxes."

Financial issues should remain far behind Cage, who has three movies scheduled for a 2010 release, including Kick-Ass, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, and Season of the Witch.

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Nicolas Cage car stunt goes wrong in Times Square

A stunt man filming a car chase in Times Square for a new Nicolas Cage movie crashed his Ferrari into a store front and two pedestrians suffered minor injuries, police and the film's producers said on Monday.

The crash, which happened early on Monday, was captured on amateur video that was posted on the New York Post website, www.nypost.com.

It showed two cars weaving in between other traffic before the front one skidded out of control, mounting the sidewalk and crashing into the window of an outlet of an Italian chain restaurant.

Normal traffic in Times Square had been shut down for the filming of "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," and all the cars in the video were part of the movie shoot.

Police said a 23-year-old man was hit by a falling pole and complained of a head injury, and a 21-year-old woman suffered a foot injury. Both injuries were considered minor and the stunt man driving the car was uninjured.

"On site production medics responded immediately and two pedestrians were taken to the hospital for evaluation," said a statement from the production of "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," which is a Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films production.

"One person has been released and while we were told the second person was also released we have not been able to confirm that," said the statement. "All safety regulations were followed and second unit filming will continue as planned."

Due for release in mid-2010, "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" is the story of a college student reluctantly recruited to work for a sorcerer, played by Cage. Set in contemporary New York, it is based on the segment of the same name from the Disney animated film "Fantasia."

http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSTRE54368Z20090504

Sci-fi thriller 'Knowing' tops weekend box office

Nicolas Cage proved again to be a self-fulfilling prophet of the megaplex as his latest big-screen thriller, "Knowing," topped the North American box office this weekend with an opening tally of $24.8 million, according to studio figures on Sunday.

The sci-fi adventure, starring Cage as an astrophysicist who decodes an encrypted prophecy of global doom and races to save the world from cataclysm, marked the fifth-biggest movie opening of his career and his ninth No. 1 film since 1997.

Besides underscoring Cage's enduring appeal as one of Hollywood's most bankable heroes, the film's end-of-the-world scenario seemed to offer an ideal antidote for moviegoers weary of gloomy economic news.

"In a doomsday scenario, dollars and cents don't really matter anymore, and I think that's really appealing to people," said box office analyst Paul Dergarabedian, president of Media By Numbers. "Who cares about mortgages anymore if the world's going to blow up?"

Cage clinched his biggest opening in 2007 with "Ghost Rider," which grossed $45.4 million its first weekend, followed by his two "National Treasure" adventures with $44.8 million and $35.1 million. Those three films went on to gross well over $500 million domestically alone.

"Knowing," released by independent distributor Summit Entertainment, easily beat out two other movies opening in wide release -- the male-bonding comedy "I Love You, Man" from Paramount Pictures (VIAb.N), and Universal Pictures' (GE.N) international spy thriller "Duplicity," co-starring Julia Roberts and Clive Owen.

"I Love You, Man," featuring Paul Rudd and Jason Segel, opened at No. 2 with an estimated $18 million in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales for Friday through Sunday. Rudd and Segel previously appeared together in last year's "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," which Segel wrote, and the 2007 comedy "Knocked Up."

"Duplicity" grossed $14.4 million to land at No. 3 this weekend. Its co-stars, Roberts and Owen, previously appeared together in the 2004 romantic drama "Closer."

Last weekend's top movie, "Race to Witch Mountain," fell to fourth place with receipts of $13 million, while the superhero film "Watchmen" rounded out the top five at $6.7 million in its third weekend.

Horror remake "The Last House on the Left" slipped three notches to No. 6 in its second weekend with $5.9 million, while the kidnap thriller "Taken," starring Liam Neeson, grossed $4.1 million in its eighth weekend to fall to No. 7.

The Oscar-winning rags-to-riches hit "Slumdog Millionaire" eased two spots to No. 8 with $2.7 million. That brought its domestic tally after 19 weeks to $137.2 million.

http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssTechMediaTelecomNews/idUSN2254213920090322