Two years have gone by since it was announced that Nicolas Cage would be voicing a “a vodka-drinking, Flashdance-loving dragon who lives an isolated existence in the bayous of Louisiana” for a TV series adaptation of Eoin Colfer’s adult thriller novel Highfire. Thankfully, we finally have a positive update to share about that project. Deadline reports that Highfire is still in the works, Cage is still on board to provide the dragon’s voice, and the show has moved from Amazon to the Paramount+ streaming service.
Davey Holmes, the creator of Epix’s Get Shorty TV series, is writing the adaptation, which will be something along the lines of True Detective meets Pete’s Dragon. Here’s the synopsis:
Once upon a time, dragons ruled the earth and Lord Highfire ruled the dragons from his eyrie. But this is not once upon a time, this is now, and now all Lord Highfire rules is his shack in Louisiana’s Honey Island Swamp. Highfire has become plain old ‘Vern’ and, by day, he hides out among the alligators, watches cable-TV and drinks obscene amounts of vodka to pass the time. It isn’t much of a life but he’s alive to live it, and Vern is prepared do whatever it takes – even if its violent – to preserve his own hide. When Vern’s world collides with a human teen named Squib, who becomes mixed up in some trouble while running booze for the local mob, their mutual struggle for survival becomes entangled in the most unlikely of friendships.
Highfire is coming to us from MGM. Cage and Holmes are executive producing the show alongside Andrew Mittman of 1.21, part of his exclusive production deal at MGM.
I haven’t read Eoin Colfer’s novel, but I was sold on this show as soon as I read that Cage would be voicing a dragon that drinks vodka and loves Flashdance. Are you looking forward to Highfire? Let us know by leaving a comment below.