Nicolas Cage Says He 'Almost Had' a Movie Studio Built in Las Vegas Before Elon Musk Swooped In

The actor says the city had $80 million set aside for his studio but instead gave it to the Tesla cooperation

Photo: JC Olivera/Getty; Pascal Le Segretain/Getty

Nicolas Cage has a bone to pick with Elon Musk.

The actor, 58, was featured on Wednesday night's episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! where he spoke about Las Vegas, the city he calls home, and his since thwarted plans to open a movie studio.

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent actor told Kimmel that he has lived in the city for about 17 years.

"Vegas has been good to me, it really has," he said calling the city "one of the most unique addresses in the world."

Cage said while he initially might have moved to Sin City for "tax reasons," he has now "grown to love it."

The Oscar winner, who has filmed two movies in Las Vegas, Leaving Las Vegas and Honeymoon in Vegas, said he even had plans to open his own studio there.

"I tried to get a movie studio built there, and then Elon Musk came in, and all the money I got for the movie studio – I got $80 million — they put it into the Tesla cooperation," he said. "Which then, ironically, drained all the water out of the city."

"But I almost had it, I almost had a studio out there."

Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

Back in January, PEOPLE exclusively confirmed that Cage and wife Riko Shibata, who is also an actress, are expecting their first child together.

Cage is already a father of two to sons Kal-El, 16, and Weston, 31, from previous relationships.

The actor tied the knot with Shibata, his fifth wife, during a "very small and intimate wedding at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas" on Feb. 16 of last year, honoring his late father's birthday.

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent — which also stars Pedro Pascal, Tiffany Haddish, Neil Patrick Harris, Ike Barinholtz and Sharon Horgan — is in theaters Friday.