Los Angeles, Feb 24 (IANS): Actor Nicolas Cage has joined the cast of Oliver Stone’s “ Snowden”, which is based on the whistleblower Edward Snowden's story.

Cage will play the role of a former US Intelligence Official in the thriller, reports variety.com.

Principal photography of the film is currently underway in Munich, Germany and will continue in various locations around the world until mid-May.

The film is based on Luke Harding's book “The Snowden Files: The Inside Story of the World’s Most Wanted Man”, which depicts Snowden's move from Hawaii to Hong Kong, where he handed over the NSA documents to journalist Glenn Greenwald.

It will also focus on “Time of the Octopus”, the upcoming novel from Snowden's Russian lawyer Anatoly Kucherena, telling the story about his time waiting for the government in Moscow to grant his asylum.

The film stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the title role alongside Shailene Woodley, Melissa Leo, Zachary Quinto, Tom Wilkinson, Rhys Ifans, Joely Richardson and Timothy Olyphant.

“Snowden” will release in US Dec 25.