Cairo  - Hollywood star Nicholas Cage will play late Egyptian president Anwar Sadat in an Egyptian television series, according to media reports Tuesday.

Cage plans to lose six kilograms before he starts shooting for the series, for which he's getting paid 40 million dollars, al-Arabiya TV reported.

Egyptian writer Anis al-Degheidy, who wrote the series, recently announced that shooting was to start mid-2009. The show is to be directed by Lebanese Youssef Sharaf.

Al-Degheidy, who has written some controversial books including Saddam Was Not Executed, said the TV series would be in English and also dubbed in Arabic.

Biographical TV series have proved to be quite popular in Egypt. Last September, shows about late Egyptian president Gamal Abdul Nasser and Syrian actress-singer Asmahan were broadcast during the holy fasting month of Ramadan. (dpa)