The Dance | movie stills | cagefactor.com

Release Date: TBA 2004/2005
Information Provided by:
HG Pictures.com
Movies Go.com
The Z Review

Starring Nicolas Cage | Director(s) TBA | Screenwriter(s) | Studio TBA

Production Company Saturn Film

50 Cent Steps Into The Ring For A 'Dance' With Nicolas Cage Rapper will play an imprisoned boxer coached by Cage's pro-turned-volunteer trainer.

The rapper has signed on to star opposite Nicolas Cage in the boxing flick "The Dance." According to Variety magazine, the film will center on the real-life story of prison boxing coach Billy "The Kid" Roth. The movie is based on "The Dance - The Billy Roth Story," a 2003 documentary on Roth executive produced by Cage, with an eye toward developing a feature film on the trainer. Roth was a successful boxer who went on to spend more than 40 years as a volunteer boxing coach in Louisiana state prisons. Cage will take on the title role, while 50 is slated to play an inmate Roth believes has enough talent to be a contender, if only he wasn't serving a life sentence.

At the time of the documentary's release, Cage said in a statement, "Billy Roth's story truly spoke to my heart; despite the darkness and intense despair, an unlikely and flawed character is able to find and provide hope to others." Cage is co-producing the film with Violator Management's Chris Lighty and Mona Scott, whose firm represents 50 Cent as well as Missy Elliott and Oscar winners Three 6 Mafia. Source

Nicolas Cage will star as Billy "The Kid" Roth, a former prizefighter who spent more than 40 years teaching Louisiana prison inmates how to box.

Hollywood Reporter
Haynes/Geadelmann Orbits with Cage's Saturn
October 15, 2003 • By Chris Gardner
Nicolas Cage and his Saturn Films have teamed with the recently launched production outfit Haynes/Geadelmann Pictures to collaborate on a series of projects, including a deal to partner on a feature film based on the life of boxer-turned-prison coach Billy Roth, with Cage starring as the former prizefighter.

The CAA-packaged project will be produced by Saturn and Haynes/Geadelmann, which is headed by filmmakers John Darling Haynes and Eric A. Geadelmann. The budding relationship between the two companies grew out of a project called "The Dance — The Billy Roth Story," a documentary on the festival circuit that Haynes directed and produced along with Geadelmann. Cage and Saturn president Norm Golightly were executive producers.

The docu chronicles the life of Louisiana native Billy "The Kid" Roth, a former champion fighter who has volunteered for more than 44 years in Louisiana prisons, serving as a surrogate father to hundreds of inmates whom he taught to box.

Out of that project, the two companies partnered to produce the feature starring Cage as well as a related television series. "Billy Roth's story truly spoke to my heart; despite the darkness and intense despair, an unlikely and flawed character is able to find and provide hope to others," Cage said in a statement.

Added Golightly: "We are incredibly enthusiastic about our new relationship with Eric and John. They are truly passionate filmmakers, and we hope that our collaboration with them on 'The Dance' will be the first of many." Said Geadelmann: "It is a tremendous privilege to be working with Nicolas Cage, such a multitalented actor, director and producer. We look forward to working with him and Norm on 'The Dance' and other meaningful projects."

Saturn most recently produced Cage's directorial debut, "Sonny," starring James Franco, and Universal Pictures' "The Life of David Gale."

Haynes and Geadelmann launched their production outfit in fall 2002. The company has offices in Nashville and Los Angeles..

Nicolas Cage to go behind bars
10-15-03
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Nicolas Cage is set to go behind bars as a boxing coach in a fact-based feature being developed by his production company.

The story revolves around Louisiana native Billy "The Kid" Roth, a former champion fighter who has volunteered for more than 44 years in Louisiana prisons, serving as a surrogate father to hundreds of inmates whom he taught to box.

His life has already been depicted in the documentary project called "The Dance -- The Billy Roth Story," whose producers will partner with Cage’s Saturn Film on the feature.

"Billy Roth’s story truly spoke to my heart; despite the darkness and intense despair, an unlikely and flawed character is able to find and provide hope to others," Cage said in a statement.

"The Dance," which played on the festival circuit, was directed by John Darling Haynes, who also produced with Eric A. Geadelmann. Saturn most recently produced Cage’s directorial debut, "Sonny," starring James Franco, and Universal Pictures’ "The Life of David Gale."
~Source~

Untitled Billy Roth Movie Update
Thursday 15th October 2003
Nicolas Cage and his Saturn Film have teamed with the recently launched production outfit Haynes/Geadelmann Pictures to collaborate on series of projects, including a deal to partner on a feature film based on the life of boxer-turned-prison coach Billy Roth, with Cage starring as the former prize fighter.
~Source~

HAYNES/GEADELMANN PICTURES PARTNERS WITH NICOLAS CAGE AND SATURN FILMS
October 14, 2003
Multiple Project Deal Includes Feature Film to Star Cage, Television and Documentary, The Dance
Nashville, TN – Newly founded Haynes/Geadelmann Pictures has announced a multiple project deal with Nicolas Cage and his production company Saturn Films. Haynes/Geadelmann Pictures was founded by filmmakers John Darling Haynes and Eric A. Geadelmann with joint offices in Nashville and Los Angeles.

Cage and Saturn president Norm Golightly serve as executive producers on Haynes/Geadelmann Pictures’ debut project, the feature documentary The Dance–The Billy Roth Story. The documentary was directed by Haynes and produced by Haynes and Geadelmann. The Dance was produced in association with filmmaker Scott Mayo and his production company, Casa Grande Entertainment. Currently on the festival circuit, the critically acclaimed film chronicles the remarkable life of Louisiana native Billy “The Kid” Roth, a former champion prize fighter who has volunteered for over 44 years in the prisons of Louisiana, serving as a surrogate father to hundreds of inmates while teaching them how to box, but more importantly teaching them about life: how to make it back to “the dance.” Roth has been supportive of the film about his life.

Commenting on the documentary, Cage offered, “Billy Roth’s story truly spoke to my heart - despite the darkness and intense despair, an unlikely and flawed character is able to find and provide hope to others.”

Beyond the documentary, the partnership entails jointly producing a dramatic feature based on the documentary, with Cage portraying the Billy Roth character. In addition, Haynes/Geadelmann and Saturn are creating a related television project. CAA is packaging both.

On his first project with Haynes/Geadelmann, Golightly stated, “We are incredibly enthusiastic about our new relationship with Eric and John. They are truly passionate filmmakers and we hope that our collaboration with them on The Dance will be the first of many.” “It is a tremendous privilege to be working with Nicolas Cage, such a multi-talented actor, director and producer,” stated Geadelmann. “We look forward to working with him and Norm on The Dance and other meaningful projects.”

Haynes/Geadelmann Pictures is an independent film production company founded to develop compelling content to educate, inspire and uplift human spirit. Haynes/Geadelmann Pictures donates proceeds from each film to a beneficiary directly related to each project’s story. The company is developing documentaries, features and children’s animation properties. Founders John Darling Haynes and Eric Geadelmann launched the company in fall 2002. Saturn Films most recently produced Nicolas Cage’s directorial debut, Sonny, and Universal Pictures release The Life of David Gale.

The Dance
The product of alcoholism, abuse, and neglect, Louisiana native Billy Roth was sent to live with relatives at the age of four. Taught to box by an uncle who raised him for a short while, by the time he was 16, he was boxing inmates at the notorious Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. Juggled between homes and cities, he disappeared into the world of amateur, and later professional, boxing, while his father slowly drank himself to death.

The Dance is a hypnotic, unflinching look at the past four decades of the remarkable life of Billy Roth, from his amateur and professional boxing victories, to his tireless efforts as a volunteer coach and referee in the Louisiana prison system, to his role as surrogate father to men convicted of armed robbery, manslaughter, and murder. When he could have given in to self-pity or despair, he used the only tool he had to build a life for himself. In the process, he has transformed the lives of many, many more. The Dance combines a visually stunning look inside the country's most dangerous prisons, along with music from world class blues, gospel and bluegrass musicians, and first hand accounts from inmates, former students, and Billy himself, the man thousands of convicted felons call "Pops." One day, he dreams that one of his students will become world champion - to make it to "The Dance." And it seems that dream just may be within reach.