After years in development, the sequel to Nicolas Cage and John Travolta’s cult classic Face/Off just experienced a major setback.
It’s 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 dropped out of 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 chance to submit their own pitches and development plans in what is being called an open directing assignment, with the hope that studio executives will hire one of them to direct the project.
John Travolta and Nicolas Cage as Castor and Sean aiming guns at each other in Face/Off.
Before joining the production of Face/Off 2, Wingard 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 a year ago that hasn’t been released yet.
It’s unclear why he’s no longer directing the Face/Off sequel, 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, beating out 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 singled out 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 wakes up and flips the script on Archer’s face transplant scheme.
John Woo directed Face/Off after having 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 nod for Best Sound Effects Editing.
After Face/Off, Cage starred in movies like 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 the direction of Wingard, was expected to be a sequel, with the possibility of Cage and Travolta reprising their roles, despite how the first film ended. Now that Paramount is starting from square one, it’s unclear what direction the Face/Off sequel will take.
Writers
Adam Wingard
Producers
David Permut