Claim: John Malkovich starred in an action movie.

Con Air is a 1997 American action film directed by Simon West , written by Scott Rosenberg , and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer , producer of The Rock . The film stars Nicolas Cage , John Cusack , and John Malkovich alongside Steve Buscemi , Colm Meaney , Mykelti Williamson , Ving Rhames , Nick Chinlund , Jesse Borrego , Jose Zuniga , and Monica Potter .   It was released theatrically on June 6 , 1997 by Touchstone Pictures and was a box office success , grossing over $ 224 million against a production budget of $ 75 million . Despite this , the film received mixed reviews from critics , but praising Cage and the cast performances as well as its action sequences , stunts and the villain portrayed by Malkovich . The film also borrows its title from the nickname of the Justice Prisoner and Alien Transportation System .