Despite being a relatively small indie movie, Dream Scenario introduces multiple characters and some of the best movie stars of its generation. The movie is a mix of fantasy and black comedy centered around Paul Matthews, a run-of-the-mill professor played by Nicolas Cage, who suddenly becomes a celebrity after inexplicably appearing in the dreams of every person on Earth.
Dream Scenario is directed by Kristoffer Borgli, a highly original up-and-coming voice in the film industry right now, known for the scandalous 2022 comedy Sick of Myself and the fiction-documentary hybrid DRIB. The indie company A24 is known for delivering consistently inventive comedies and is behind Dream Scenario's production and distribution.
Here's your cast and character guide to Dream Scenario.
Nicolas Cage as Paul Matthews
Paul Matthews, a college professor who suddenly appears in everyone else's dreams, is played by Nicolas Cage. The actor has made a name for himself as a living running gag in the film industry, embracing the cult and the memes around his persona with enthusiasm and accepting projects that only exist because of him, such as The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, which features Cage as a fictional version of himself engaging in a deadly mission to save his career, or Mandy, which unleashes Cage's most deranged side in an ultraviolent journey across another dimension.
Beyond its nearly mythological influence in Hollywood, Cage is a respected and talented actor. He's a two-time Oscar nominee, earning a Best Actor statuette in 1996 for his performance in Leaving Las Vegas. Across the years, he collected a series of iconic roles such as Big Daddy in Kick-Ass, H.I. in Raising Arizona, Benjamin Franklin Gates in National Treasure, and Rob in Pig.
Julianne Nicholson as Janet Matthews
Janet Matthews, Paul's wife, is played by Julianne Nicholson. The actress has a prolific career in both TV and film, making her acting debut as Cara in a single episode of Nothing Sacred in 1997. She went on to play Jenny Shaw in Ally McBeal, Detective Meghan Wheeler in Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Dr. Lillian DePaul in Masters of Sex, and more recently, Lori in Mare of Easttown, a role which earned her an Emmy award. On the big screen, Nicholson is best known for starring in movies such as I, Tonya, Monos, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, and Blonde.
Jessica Clement as Hannah Matthews
Hannah Matthews, Paul and Janet's older daughter, is played by Jessica Clement. Kicking off her career in the late-2000s in small short movies and minor TV roles, Clement is now very active in the entertainment industry with a standout role in The Boys spin-off series Gen V, where she plays Harper, one of the school's weirdest "superheroes." Before that, the actress rose to prominence by playing Cherry in the horror show Hemlock Grove, Tina Funk in Pure, and Fanny Casteel Wilcox in V.C. Andrew's Heaven.
Lily Bird as Sophie Matthews
Sophie Matthews, the daughter of Paul and Janet, is played by Lily Bird. Despite being only 14 years old, the young actress has already made an impression with a couple of high-profile roles in successful movies such as The Northman, Robert Eggers' massive Viking allegory to Shakespeare's Hamlet, and Beau is Afraid, Ari Aster's ambitious three-hour-long black comedy.
Tim Meadows as Brett
Brett, the dean at the college where Paul works, is played by Tim Meadows. The actor is a comedy veteran and has been actively contributing to the film industry since the 90s, when he landed a regular spot on the cast of Saturday Night Live. Meadows is most commonly known for starring in movies such as Mean Girls, Grown Ups, Trainwreck, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, and Semi-Pro. He's also a fantastic voice actor, bringing iconic characters such as Bob's Burgers' Mike, No Activity's Judd Tolbeck, and Digman!'s Quail Eegan into life.
Michael Cera as Trent
Trent, the head of a viral marketing firm aiming at profiting from Paul's image, is played by Michael Cera. Just like Cage, Cera has also become a legend with a huge fanbase through a series of hilarious and generally "good guy" roles. His distinctively awkward sweetness is nearly impossible to replicate, and roles such as Superbad's Evan, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World's Scott Pilgrim, and Arrested Development's George Michael Bush were crucial in Cera's journey to becoming a key pop culture figure.
On TV, Cera recently landed small, yet impactful roles in shows such as Twin Peaks: The Return and Black Mirror. On the big screen, the actor was an absolute scene-stealer in Barbie, where he played Allan, one of the best characters in Greta Gerwig's summer blockbuster.
Kate Berlant as Mary
Mary, Trent's business partner, is played by Kate Berlant. Being Berlant's specialty comedy, she couldn't be more in sync with the cast. The actress started her career with a series of minor roles in comedy TV shows such as Transparent, Bajillion Dollar Propertie$, and Easy until she landed a significant role in the black comedy Sorry To Bother You starring opposite LaKeith Stanfield. Since then, Berlant went on to star in a range of successful movies such as Happy Anniversary, Duck Butter, Once Upon A Time in Hollywood, and Don't Worry Darling.
Dylan Gelula as Molly
Molly, Trent's assistant, is played by Dylan Gelula. The actress first rose to prominence playing Gretchen in the comedy show Jennifer Falls and Ford in Chasing Life. On TV, she went on to star in shows such as Casual, Shameless, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and Everything's Fine. However, Gelula's specialty seems to be small indie movies that range between rom-coms and coming-of-age dramas. In the past decade, the actress starred First Girl I Loved, Flower, Support the Girls, Her Smell, and Shithouse, where she starred opposite Cooper Raif as his love interest.
Dylan Baker as Richard
Richard, one of Paul's few colleagues, is played by Dylan Baker. The actor is yet another comedy veteran in the cast of Dream Scenario, most commonly known for playing Biff Simpson, one of the main antagonists of the Prime Video show Hunters. Some of Baker's other popular roles include Freddie Shapp in Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, Dr. Curt Connors in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man movies, Bill Maplewood in the dark comedy Happiness, J. Edgar Hoover in Selma, and William Crandall in the period sci-fi show The Americans.
Dream Scenario releases in theaters November 10
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