There’s another movie remake in the works, but perhaps not one you’d expect. Rather than re-doing a beloved franchise from the past, Paramount have instead greenlit a remake of Face/Off. Yes, the delightfully insane 90s actioner where John Travolta and Nicolas Cage literally switch faces. Now we get to see two contemporary actors attempt to pull off this bizarre premise!
Adam Wingard, who’s got Godzilla vs. Kong on the horizon, will direct and also write the film alongside his frequent collaborator Simon Barrett. Producers include Neal Moritz (The Fast And The Furious franchise) and David Permut (Hacksaw Ridge). Moritz’s involvement potentially signals Paramount’s desire to turn this into a franchise.
Wingard has previously directed genre benders such as You’re Next and The Guest, so he’s no stranger to slightly bizarre premises. However, Face/Off is on a whole different level. It’s a minor miracle the original film is so good, and much of that is due to the committed performances from Cage and Travolta and the exquisite direction from John Woo.
Thus far in his career, Wingard hasn’t proven he can match Woo. So there’s strike one. Plus, there aren’t many actors who can rival Cage for sheer absurdity and intensity. Hell, maybe they should just bring Cage back? It will be interesting to see what actors they secure for these roles, and whether they go for a more tongue-in-cheek vibe than the original.
Usually we get remakes of films that are safe bets, but Face/Off was a strange entity when it was released in 1997, and remains so today. So it’s an intriguing film to reboot, and we’ll have to wait and see what Paramount and Wingard have in store for this 21st century re-do.
