Nicolas Cage will star for Paper Street Films and Back Lot Pictures in political drama The Runner.

Infinitely Polar Bear executive producer Austin Stark’s writing and directing debut centres on an idealistic but flawed New Orleans congressman who becomes embroiled in a sex scandal in the aftermath of the tragic 2010 BP oil spill.

Benji Kohn, Bingo Gubelmann and Chris Papavasiliou produce for Paper Street Films with Glenn Williamson for Back Lot Pictures.

Ruth Mutch, Noah Millman, Sam Bisbee, Tom Conigliaro and Erika Hampson are the executive producers and production is set to kick off in New Orleans on June 23.