Nicolas Cage to Star in Post-Apocalyptic Thriller ‘Parish’

Nicolas Cage is heading into the wasteland for his next action thriller, Parish, a new post-apocalyptic film that is set to begin world pre-sales ahead of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) market.

Cage will play Parish, one of the last known survivors of a nuclear apocalypse. Set 30 years after the disaster, the film follows a hardened man who has survived by living alone in a heavily protected compound with his highly trained attack dogs.

Parish has one simple rule: never let anyone through the gate. He has followed it for three decades, keeping himself safe from the dangers of the outside world.

That changes when a desperate woman arrives at his compound carrying an infant. Faced with a choice between helping them and protecting his own survival, Parish opens the gate. His decision soon puts his entire refuge at risk.

A brutal group of cannibals from the wasteland discovers the compound and begins closing in. As the attackers lay siege to his heavily equipped home, Parish must fight to protect the people and the life he has left behind. At the same time, secrets from his past begin to catch up with him.

The film is being directed by Adam Sigal, who previously directed the Simon Pegg comedy-thriller Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose. Sigal was also a producer on the 2024 science-fiction thriller Slingshot, which starred Casey Affleck and Laurence Fishburne.

Joel Shapiro of MagiCity Studios, known for films including Gunner and Killerman, will produce Parish alongside Steven Tyler Sahlein, producer of The Devil’s Advocate. Matthew Shreder of Concourse Media will executive-produce and finance the project with sister company Archetype Media Finance.

The film also has an experienced cinematographer behind the camera. David Tattersall, whose credits include Star Wars: Episode I, II & III, The Green Mile, Tomb Raider, and Cage films Con Air and Next, will serve as director of photography.

Filming is currently planned for October in Minnesota.

Concourse Media CEO Matthew Shreder said the film has the scale and talent to stand out as a major theatrical project, highlighting Cage and the filmmakers involved.

Producer Joel Shapiro said the story combines a savage post-apocalyptic world with a strong human element. He also described Cage as a natural fit for Parish because of the actor's unpredictability and emotional intensity.

With Nicolas Cage leading a survival story filled with cannibals, attack dogs, siege warfare and a mysterious past, Parish is shaping up as a dark and action-heavy addition to the growing post-apocalyptic thriller genre.