Nicolas Cage’s Malibu home faces a 25-foot sinkhole threat, raising coastal erosion fears as 31 evacuated homes await answers amid El Niño concerns

A huge sinkhole has opened up outside Hollywood actor Nicolas Cage’s beachfront house in Malibu, California. The hole is about 25 feet deep and appeared on September 8 on Sea Level Drive. It swallowed his driveway, and it has kept growing since then.

Cage has now taken four permits from the city to repair the damage, according to city records. The permits cost $3,158 in total. The work includes digging to collect a soil sample, clearing debris, and placing sandbags around the property to hold back strong waves and stop further erosion.

Cage’s four permits are part of 14 given to residents of the street in the last two months. His neighbours are also trying to protect their homes after high tides and rain from Tropical Storm Marie.

Nicolas Cage’s Malibu sinkhole shows what El Niño could do to beachfront homes this season

The sinkhole has blocked the only road leading in and out of the neighbourhood. Because of this, the city of Malibu put red tags on 31 homes on the street and asked residents to leave. A red tag means a house is unsafe to enter. The city has not said when the evacuation orders will end.

It may take some time. Local outlet Malibu.fm reported that the first contractor hired for the repairs was removed from the job. A new contractor joined in early October.

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The city says the Sea Level Drive Homeowners Association is responsible for the repairs. Meanwhile, gas and electricity to the street have been switched off, and no vehicle can use the road.

The sinkhole is not the only worry on this stretch of coast. Strong waves are hitting homes along the shore, and many people fear that an El Niño weather pattern could bring heavier storms this season. On October 7, Malibu declared a state of emergency. City officials called it a preventive step, taken because of the threat of extreme danger. The declaration lets them act faster if a situation turns serious.

Mayor Bruce Silverstein said Malibu has seen the damage that powerful storms can cause, including in earlier El Niño years, and that the effects of El Niño are already being felt.

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The fear is spreading among residents. One local told the Los Angeles Times he was thinking of moving away. Another woman called her insurance company to ask whether sinkholes are covered under her policy.

About the house and the actor

Property records show Cage bought the home in 2024 for $10.5 million. It stands near Lechuza Point. The modern, box-shaped house has four bedrooms, five and a half bathrooms and 3,938 square feet of space. It also has a rooftop deck with a hot tub.

Cage is a well-known actor and has won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his role in the 1995 film Leaving Las Vegas. His recent work includes Pig and Spider-Noir.

For now, the repair work continues, and nobody can say how long it will take. Residents of Sea Level Drive are waiting for the road to reopen while the weather remains a threat.