Cage may not join cast of 'Ghost Rider'

Hollywood star Nicolas Cage has said that he might not shoot the big budget action film Ghost Rider in Australia.

It was thought Cage would be in Melbourne in January to make the movie, based on the popular Marvel comic series, but the Oscar-winning actor has confirmed he hadn't committed to the project.

If Cage opted out, the film would probably not go ahead - a major blow to the Australian film industry and the Victorian government.

The American actor said he had nothing against shooting the movie in Australia, but before he signed on he needed to resolve script issues and discrepancies about the vision for the film.

At a press conference in Washington DC to promote his latest completed project, the action adventure movie National Treasure, Cage revealed Ghost Rider was not a certainty, although a scouting mission was taking place in Australia to check the location was suitable.

The Australian film industry is keen to attract the $US40 million ($57.2 million) production, after suffering a huge drop-off over the past two years in big-budget, Hollywood-funded movies being made in Australia.