AceShowbiz -

Looks like Nicolas Cage prefers to get more involved in thriller genre lately. Variety has come up with a report stating the Oscar winner is about to topline Alex Proyas-directed "Knowing" after previously was positive to star in other flick of the genre "Vanished" for Focus Features.

In the movie, Cage will be billed as a teacher who examines the contents of a time capsule found at his son's elementary school. Startling predictions in the time capsule that have already come true then lead him to believe the world is going to end at the close of the week and that he and his son are somehow involved in the destruction.

Pic was originated at Escape Artists which assigned novelist Ryne Pearson to pitch it and worked on the first draft before being rewritten by Stiles White and Juliet Snowden. The most recent draft, however, was done by Proyas and Stuart Hazeldine.

Production is due to begin on March 17, 2008 in Melbourne, Australia with Summit Entertainment to fully finance and distribute the flick. Escape Artists partners Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, and Steve Tisch are all producing while Norm Golightly and David Bloomfield are both serving as the executive producers.