Johnny Blaze is a demon-possessed motorcycling stunt driver. Now, if that’s not a premise screaming for film adaptation, I don’t know what is.

Nicholas Cage is perfectly cast as the strangely funny, but tormented, Johnny Blaze. In fact, I would be hard-pressed to think of any actor living today who could pull this kind of character off on the screen other than Cage. Of course, what tormented soul would be without a love interest? His is played by the lovely and talented Eva Mendes, who stars as Roxanne Simpson, Blaze’s childhood sweetheart.

The movie also stars Sam Elliot as Caretaker, the Ghost Rider’s ally and Peter Fonda as the mysterious antagonist Mephisto.

Ghost Rider is directed by Mark Steven Johnson, also known for his directing and writing work in such diverse films as “Dare Devil,” “Jack Frost,” “Simon Birch,” and the two “Grumpy Old Men” movies starring the late actors Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon.

Cage is keeping himself very busy these days. With the release of “Ghost Rider” due out in 2006, he has three other features with possible releases in 2006. “The Wicker Man,” “Next,” and “Amarillo Slim,” all currently in pre-production, and “Electric God” which is set for a 2007 release date.