Nicolas Cage to play Sadhu?

Oscar winner Nicolas Cage, whose plunging career was resurrected, thanks to his sterling performance in Oliver Stone's hit film World Trade Center [Images], will play a soldier whose Indian sojourn during the British Raj leads him to become a spiritual warrior.

According to trade publication Variety, the film will be adapted from the Virgin Comics's The Sadhu written by Gotham Chopra, and will be based on a screenplay by his father, the bestselling author and spiritual guru, Deepak Chopra. The name of the director has not been announced but Gotham may direct the film too. In recent interviews, he has said he plans to direct films.

This is the second instance of a Hollywood star making a deal with Indian producers. Recently, Will Smith inked a deal with UTV's Ronnie Screwala to make films in India and Hollywood.

The Sadhu combines mysticism with action. James Jensen, its hero, returns home seeking revenge against the killer who has destroyed his family but undergoes spiritual transformation.

The film, which could cost about $50 million, will be produced by Cage's production company with Gotham Chopra and the Virgin Comics CEO Sharad Devarajan. 'The Sadhu is a bold, visual epic that taps into one of

India

's most heralded spiritual traditions,' Devarajan told reporters.

In an earlier interview, he had told rediff.com that along with the Chopras and Shekhar Kapur [Images], his firm was creating 'new comic-book stories with leading filmmakers from around the world for subsequent development into live-action films.'

Gotham Chopra made his movie debut three years ago as an executive producer on the John Woo produced martial art drama Bulletproof Monk, a moderate success, starring Yun-Fat Chow. Based on a comic book, the MGM film told the story of a Tibetan monk (Chow) who becomes a mentor to a young street kid and teaches him to protect a scroll.

Variety also reported that Cage, 'an unabashed comics fan' will star next year in the Mark Steven Johnson-directed Marvel Comics adaptation Ghost Rider for Columbia Pictures. It added that he has made a deal with Virgin Comics to publish Enigma, a voodoo-laced thriller Cage, created with his 15-year-old son, Weston.

Cage, whose fees can vary from $3 million to $20 million the same year depending on the nature of a film, said in an interview last year: 'I do want to make big movies that are a lot of fun to go to, but I also want to make movies that are going to stimulate some thought and maybe raise some awareness.'

He won an Oscar in 1995 for his work in the art-house success, Leaving Las Vegas [Images].

Richard Branson [Images], the billionaire entrepreneur, teamed earlier this year to create Virgin Comics with Chopras and Kapur.

Deepak Chopra has said that his involvement with the comics is a serious one and he enjoys the creative process. He is writing a novel on the life of Buddha that would also lead to a graphic novel. "It's a wonderful story and as my son likes to remind me, it is also the story of Buddha's pre-enlightenment which has plenty of action and lust and rage and so many of the elements that inspire an epic. I'm planning on telling many more stories via this medium (the comics) as well."