Deadline has reported that Paramount plans to reboot Face/Off, the popular action thriller directed by John Woo in 1997. Face/Off starred John Travolta and Nicolas Cage, but the new version will have a new cast and director altogether.
The original film centered around FBI agent Sean Archer (Travolta), who becomes obsessed with catching the man who killed his son, sociopath terrorist for hire Caster Troy (Cage). After undergoing facial transplant surgery to look like the now-comatose Troy to find out where a bomb he planted will go off, Troy then wakes up and forces the doctor to surgically put Archer’s face on his. Soon after, Archer’s life is turned upside down as Troy, now sporting Archer’s face, starts taking over his home life. Face/Off ends with a big showdown between the two men, complete with John Woo trademarks like dual pistols, slow-motion action and doves.
The film was originally praised highly for its action sequences and acting performances, even getting an Academy Award nomination for Sound Effects Editing. Not only a critical success, Face/Off fared very well commercially, taking home a worldwide box office total of $245 million.
Face/Off’s original script writers were Mike Werb and Michael Colleary, but Oren Uziel has been hired to write the new script. Neal Moritz is set to produce and the executive producer will be David Permut. Unfortunately, cast and director roles have not been filled yet but we at Mxdwn will announce when they have.