Deadline reports that the 1997 cult classic Face/Off will get a modern update, which the director says is not a remake but rather a direct sequel to the John Travolta and Nicolas Cage action thriller.
Paramount has tapped Adam Wingard, the man behind The Guest, You’re Next, and Godzilla vs. Kong, for this new project. Wingard will pen the script with his writing partner Simon Barrett, who he’s teamed with on every project besides the upcoming Godzilla vs. Kong. Barrett and Wingard worked together on The Guest, an action thriller that likely enticed the studio stylistically.
Wingard took to his Instagram to call this a direct sequel:
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Paramount has been crafting this update of the John Woo film for quite some time now. The studio originally had screenwriter Oren Uziel working on a script, but Deadline notes that the new duo will likely start from scratch.
The plot for the original Face/Off went as follows: “To foil a terrorist plot, an FBI agent undergoes facial transplant surgery and assumes the identity of a criminal mastermind, who murdered his only son. The plan turns sour when the criminal wakes up prematurely and seeks revenge.”
The 1997 action thriller brought home $246 million worldwide. Travolta played FBI agent Sean Archer, while Cage played the homicidal sociopath named Castor Troy. No word on if the new version will follow these characters and story or come up with a wholly new concept.
Will this new installment have a modern twist? Can anyone match the sheer insanity of the first John Travolta and Nicolas Cage outing? Make your thoughts known by reaching out to Flickering Myth via our social channels…
