Face/Off Remake

[Pennywise]

I like how the first movie just ignores the fact that Travolta and Cage's builds are nothing alike, let alone their facial structures/sizes.

Adam Wingard Explains How ‘Godzilla Vs Kong’ Inspired His ‘Thundercats

You mentioned Face/Off 2. The one thing that drives me nuts about the original is, at the time, Travolta and Cage do not at all have the same body type. So they aren’t really just switching faces. Somehow, please don’t do that…

There’s always a couple of ways you can approach these kinds of things.

And, yes, it’s weird that I accept the rest of it. But that part I’m like, “I don’t know about this.”

No, we try to address that in this film, because also this is over 20 years later from the first movie. So technology in terms of what in the Face/Off world they can do has advanced, and those kinds of things. So we try to make sure that when the stuff comes up, that we’re checking those boxes and making sure that’s addressed. But at the end of the day, it’s like… Yeah, that’s all I’ll say about that, because it’s one of the things. I don’t want to give anything too much away, too early.

 

[samsnee]

Sure they weren’t the right body types for each other. But that’s not the point. They both played the roles perfectly for what was needed for the movie and that’s what made it memorable.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

Wingard being behind is the one thing that gives me faith this could be good, really like him as a director.

 

[KaijuDude1992]

Wingard has definitely come a long ways as a director and if there is anything I'm confident in its his ability to always bring something unique/inventive to the table when it comes to his action sequences.

 

[Pennywise]

Godzilla vs. Kong Director Wants His Face/Off Sequel to Feel 'Like a Lost John Woo Film'

Wingard spoke to us about Godzilla vs. Kong for the MovieMaker podcast, but we couldn’t help but sneak in a question about his new take on Face/Off. We noted that one of the joys of the original film is seeing Travolta, as Sean Archer, and Cage, as Castor Troy, impersonate each other’s mannerisms and inflections.

“Face/Off isn’t about the surgery,” Wingard says. “It’s about the characters that they created, as Sean Archer and Castor Troy. And that’s the thread that we’re following for the sequel. We’re saying, ‘Okay, well how does this dynasty develop in the future?”

Wingard continues on the podcast: “And so it’s not a reboot, it’s not a remake, or any of that kind of stuff that people hypothesized over. It’s a direct sequel to the film. And I think we found a very clever way in. It’s hard to talk about it too much without giving anything away. All I can say is I’m just really excited because this is going to be a great opportunity for me to finally be able to — in an experimental way — say, ‘I want to do a movie that feels like a lost John Woo film.'”

Wingard notes that he’s been studying Woo’s films all his life, but plans to pay even closer attention.

“When I’m going to hire my cinematographer, we’re going to sit down and we’re just going to watch all the John Woo movies that we can and we’re gonna try to get that same camerawork, the vibe,” Wingard adds. “I want that kind of like John Woo, Hong Kong sincerity that he brought to it.”

Wingard is working on the script with Simon Barrett, with whom he also worked on The Guest, V/H/Sand You’re Next.

“Simon is just one of the funniest people I’ve ever met. And so the sense of humor that we’re bringing to it I think is exactly what you want from Face/Off — because I find Face/Off to be an absolute hilarious movie,” Wingard adds. “And it’s brilliant because it threads this line of just being so close to being campy and so close to being self-aware, but never going too far in either direction. … It always winks just enough, but it does just enough stuff that’s super sincere, that gets you in that un-self-aware zone that makes a good action movie good. If a movie winks too much and it’s too clever for it’s own good, then you just kind of feel like, well, what’s the point? If a movie is too aware of itself I don’t believe in the reality.”

He concludes: “Face/Off just hits this perfect tonal matchup… where sometimes you can’t tell if it’s joking, but it doesn’t even matter because you’re having such a blast. And the actors really are doing top-notch work.”

 

[DarkKnight88]

“It’s about the characters that they created, as Sean Archer and Castor Troy. And that’s the thread that we’re following for the sequel. We’re saying, ‘Okay, well how does this dynasty develop in the future?”

Wingard continues on the podcast: “And so it’s not a reboot, it’s not a remake, or any of that kind of stuff that people hypothesized over. It’s a direct sequel to the film. And I think we found a very clever way in. It’s hard to talk about it too much without giving anything away. All I can say is I’m just really excited because this is going to be a great opportunity for me to finally be able to — in an experimental way — say, ‘I want to do a movie that feels like a lost John Woo film.'”

The only way I can think of is that John Travolta and Nicolas Cage basically swap with younger bodies of two new actors or something. Because I really doubt the studio will headline the two of them as their lead stars for the entire movie.

 

[samsnee]

This better have white doves being released in slow motion

 

[Doctor Jones]

After GVK, I'm even more excited. It's great to hear someone have a genuine passion and understanding for this stuff. Wingard knows how to have fun and be imaginative so I'm looking forward to seeing how he applies that Woo style to this movie. I think he can do that but bring his own thing to it with his own imagination.

 

[Kane52630]

It's awesome they got Simon Barrett on this and if they can get Dan Stevens in this, it would be f**kin wonderful.

 

[Pennywise]

'Face/Off 2' Writer Explains How Nicolas Cage's Character Is Still Alive

At the end of Face/Off, after a massive speedboat chase, Archer shoots Troy with a harpoon. Troy goes unconscious, and if there were only one movie that could indicate his death. However, the original left Barrett an opening.

“The funny thing is, I never personally thought Castor Troy died at the end of Face/Off,” Barrett said. “When you watch it now, it’s kind of clear that what they were actually probably doing was trying to have it both ways where he looks pretty damn dead when he gets shot with the fishing spear. But, they don’t cover him up and the back of it is him getting loaded on an ambulance. To me, don’t load a person on an ambulance next to a living person without putting a sheet over them in a movie unless they’re alive.”

Face/Off 2’ picks up where Simon Barrett always assumed the original left off
Since Barrett never interpreted the ending of Face/Off as Archer killing Troy, that made it easier to begin writing Face/Off 2.

“I always thought Castor Troy was alive at the end of Face/Off but I was never like, ‘I wonder what happened?’ because Face/Off is such a magical universe that you’re just like, ‘Well, it gave me enough,’” Barrett said. “But then 25 years later I was like, ‘It’s not enough, is it?’”

 

[Pennywise]

Face/Off Sequel Writer Details the "Befuddled" Reactions He's Getting to His Ambitious Script

The planned sequel, on the other hand, is seemingly much more complex and complicated, with writer Simon Barrett recently recalling just how daunting a task it's been to explain the vision he and director Adam Wingard have for the follow-up, though confirms it's now in a much more digestible place.

"Face/Off 2 remains in healthy, active development. We have a script, we are rewriting our script, and I think we are really excited about the direction we're taking the rewrite. But we've got Neil Moritz and Paramount behind us and, so far, they keep giving us somewhat befuddled, but genuinely enthusiastic thumbs up, every step of the way," Barrett confirmed with ComicBook.com. "I want to say something that people haven't mentioned yet. It took Adam and I two years to pitch Face/Off 2, because our pitch was so confusing, that [the studio] just kept saying, 'We think we like what you're saying, but can you just explain who's got whose face on in this scene?' Ultimately, it was only when they actually paid us to write a 35-page treatment that I think everyone really understood what we were proposing. There's a lot of enthusiasm at the studio level, which I'm not used to. I think that has a little bit to do with my friend Adam's recent monster movie's [Godzilla vs. Kong] success in theaters this year. But you never know, you never know."

 

[Mysteryman]

Godzilla vs. Kong Director Wants His Face/Off Sequel to Feel 'Like a Lost John Woo Film'

Sounds like part of this story might involve a technology that allows multiple actors to swap faces throughout the film.

 

[Pennywise]

Sounds like part of this story might involve a technology that allows multiple actors to swap faces throughout the film.

That would certainly make things feel fresh.

 

[DarkKnight88]

Sounds like part of this story might involve a technology that allows multiple actors to swap faces throughout the film.

It’s called Mission Impossible tech!

 

[Mysteryman]

It’s called Mission Impossible tech!

Love that film!

 

[Pennywise]

Nicolas Cage on Playing Himself in New Movie: ‘I Wanted No Part of It’ – The Hollywood Reporter

One film that’s referenced a few times in the film is 1997’s Face/Off, which is such a fan favorite. There’s been recent talk of a sequel, and that there’s a script reportedly in the works with writer Simon Barrett and director Adam Wingard attached. Is that a story you would like to revisit?

I have not heard hide nor hair about it. So often these things we read about are just conjecture without any base or foundation to it. I feel the same about National Treasure 3. It’s been 14 years. There’s no there, there. So, is it fun to think about? Sure. Would [Face/Off 2] be an exciting movie to make? Oh, hell yeah. But John Woo was such a huge voice in that movie. It couldn’t be a remake. I think these filmmakers even said as much — that something like that would have to be a sequel.

 

[Pennywise]

Nicolas Cage is in Talks About Face/Off 2

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

Nicolas Cage is in Talks About Face/Off 2

While this seems really good news didn’t Castor die in the first movie?

 

[DarkKnight88]

While this seems really good news didn’t Castor die in the first movie?

Did his face die though?

 

[Pennywise]

While this seems really good news didn’t Castor die in the first movie?

'Face/Off 2' Writer Explains How Nicolas Cage's Character Is Still Alive

At the end of Face/Off, after a massive speedboat chase, Archer shoots Troy with a harpoon. Troy goes unconscious, and if there were only one movie that could indicate his death. However, the original left Barrett an opening.

“The funny thing is, I never personally thought Castor Troy died at the end of Face/Off,” Barrett said. “When you watch it now, it’s kind of clear that what they were actually probably doing was trying to have it both ways where he looks pretty damn dead when he gets shot with the fishing spear. But, they don’t cover him up and the back of it is him getting loaded on an ambulance. To me, don’t load a person on an ambulance next to a living person without putting a sheet over them in a movie unless they’re alive.”

Face/Off 2’ picks up where Simon Barrett always assumed the original left off
Since Barrett never interpreted the ending of Face/Off as Archer killing Troy, that made it easier to begin writing Face/Off 2.

“I always thought Castor Troy was alive at the end of Face/Off but I was never like, ‘I wonder what happened?’ because Face/Off is such a magical universe that you’re just like, ‘Well, it gave me enough,’” Barrett said. “But then 25 years later I was like, ‘It’s not enough, is it?’”

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

'Face/Off 2' Writer Explains How Nicolas Cage's Character Is Still Alive

Interesting, I suppose we didn’t see him fully die in the final movie and they can go a bit more sci fi with it now.

 

[StarLord]

 

[Pennywise]

Adam Wingard Updates On Face/Off 2, An ‘Absolute Sequel’ Written For Nicolas Cage – Exclusive

Wingard, who previously directed The Guest and Godzilla Vs Kong, has been working on a Face/Off follow-up with Barrett for a while now – and their take is “an absolute sequel” that would see Cage return, despite (spoiler alert!) Troy meeting the sharp end of a harpoon in the first film’s frenetic finale. “He’s just having such a moment. Even before Pig came out, we saw this as a Nicolas Cage movie,” Wingard tells Empire, in the forthcoming The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Powerissue. “That’s become totally the obvious way to go now. A couple of years ago, the studio maybe would have wanted a hot, young, up-and-coming actor or something. Now, Nicolas Cage is one of the hottest actors in Hollywood again.”

Though Cage isn’t officially on board just yet (a month ago he stated that the new movie's producer Neal H. Moritz had spoken to him about returning to star), the script will be heading his way soon, once Wingard and Barrett perfect the next draft. “We’re really honing in on it,” Wingard says. “We’re not going to share it until everybody’s like, ‘This is the one.’” Devising a belated sequel to one of the most beloved, ridiculously-plotted movies ever, starring one of Hollywood’s most eccentric and prolific leading men isn’t an easy task – but Wingard is confident that he and Barrett are “the perfect team” for the job. “I think we really got it,” he says. “It has been probably the most challenging script we’ve ever worked on, for a lot of reasons. There’s so much pressure in wanting to make sure that it lives up to the legacy of that project. But every draft you have these things that just click in, and you’re like, ‘A-ha! That’s really what Face/Offis!’” Rest assured, if it comes together, we will be pointing our faces – or, whoever’s face we’re wearing that day – right at the big screen.

 

[Pennywise]

Nicolas Cage Reveals the Plot of ‘Face/Off’ 2 [Exclusive]

"I think Face/Off is a sequel that lends itself to a lot of twists and turns and unpredictability. It's almost like if you factor in the idea of offspring and Castor and Sean having children and these children grow up, then it becomes like three-dimensional chess, and then it's not just the two, John Travolta and myself, it's four of us ping-ponging and going at different levels, and it becomes even more complex. I think there's a lot of fertile ground there. I had maybe one meeting in an office, but I haven't heard anything since, so I don't know."

Cage also spoke warmly on the prospect of Wingard taking over the director's seat from Woo, having recently finished a movie that showcased two other cinematic legends battling against one another. "He's great, and I think we share similar tastes," Cage added. "We have similar sensibilities. I liked everything he did with Godzilla vs. Kong and I think that he's smart. He has respect for cinema and various kinds of iconography. I think it would be great."

 

[Pennywise]