After years in development, the sequel to Nicolas Cage and John Travolta’s cult classic Face/Off has encountered a significant setback.
It has been almost three decades since Face/Off was first released in theaters, and Paramount has been planning a sequel since 2019, when David Permut and Neal Moritz were brought on board as producers. Two years later, Adam Wingard signed on to direct Face/Off 2 and co-write the script with Simon Barrett.
Unfortunately, those plans have changed now that Wingard has exited the sci-fi sequel, according to Collider.
As a result, Paramount Pictures is now reworking its plans for Face/Off 2, with various directors being given the opportunity to submit their own pitches and development plans (in what is being referred to as an open directing assignment), with the hope that studio executives will hire one of them to direct the project.
Before joining the production of Face/Off 2, Wingard had directed films like Blair Witch and Godzilla vs. Kong, and then went on to helm Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire in 2024. He also directed an A24 horror film called Onslaught, which has not been released yet.
The reasons for his departure from directing the Face/Off sequel remain unclear, though Collider noted that his busy career and prolonged pre-production schedule were likely contributing factors.
After its theatrical release in June 1997, Face/Off debuted at the top of the box office, surpassing Disney’s Hercules, and went on to earn more than $245 million. Critics overwhelmingly praised the film, which is Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a critic score of 93% and an audience score of 82%.
Moviegoers and reviewers alike highlighted the performances of stars Travolta and Cage as Agent Sean Archer and terrorist Castor Troy, who swap identities via surgery after the latter becomes comatose. The FBI agent is caught off guard when the terrorist awakens and turns Archer’s face transplant scheme upside down.
John Woo directed Face/Off, having previously filmed several other movies like Hard Target and Broken Arrow (also starring Travolta). He then went on to helm Mission: Impossible 2, Windtalkers (with Cage), Paycheck, Silent Night, and The Killer, among others.
Face/Off earned Woo a Saturn Award in the Best Director category, and the film was also honored with a Best Writing win. At the Oscars, Face/Off received a nomination for Best Sound Effects Editing.
After Face/Off, Cage starred in movies such as Gone in 60 Seconds, Adaptation, National Treasure, World Trade Center, Ghost Rider, Snowden, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. He can next be seen on the small screen in Prime Video’s Spider-Noir.
Meanwhile, Travolta’s post-Face/Off credits include Primary Colors, Ladder 49, Hairspray, Old Dogs, Gotti, and The People v. O. J. Simpson.
Face/Off 2, under Wingard’s direction, was expected to be a sequel with the possibility of Cage and Travolta reprising their roles, despite how the first film concluded. Now that Paramount is starting from scratch, it remains uncertain what direction the new <em>Face/Off sequel will take.
