"Face/Off" Director Adam Wingard Exits Sequel

Adam Wingard has exited as the director of the long-awaited sequel to the 1997 action classic "Face/Off".

While reuniting Nicolas Cage and John Travolta remains a priority for Paramount Pictures, the project will continue its extended development cycle following the departure of the filmmaker who had been attached for nearly five years.

The sequel has now been converted into an open directing assignment at the studio, allowing filmmakers to pitch their own take, develop the project, and potentially shepherd it into production.

Wingard previously described the follow-up as “full steam ahead” while promoting Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire in 2024, calling the script he reviewed “Amazing.” 

But between his packed schedule and the length of time things were taking, it appears the studio has opted to open the door for fresh creative voices.

Directed by Hong Kong action maven John Woo in his third American movie, "Face/Off" starred Cage as freelance terrorist Castor Troy and Travolta as Sean Archer, a federal agent obsessed with bringing Troy to justice.

When Troy is rendered comatose before he can reveal the location of his next attack, Archer undergoes experimental face-transplantation surgery to masquerade as Troy, masquerading as him in a secret super-prison as he tries to extract the information from Troy's associates.

However, Troy awakens from his coma and forces the surgeons to give him Archer's face before killing them. Now, with everyone who knew about the secret mission dead, Archer is trapped as Troy while Troy takes over Archer's life.

Soon, Archer escapes from prison, and high-octane mayhem in the John Woo manner ensues.

The movie also stars Joan Allen, Gina Gershon, Alessandro Nivola, Dominique Swain, Nick Cassavetes, Harve Presnell, and Margaret Cho.

A hit upon its release, making over $245 million on an $80 million budget, "Face/Off" has become a cult classic, thanks to the wildly over-the-top performances Cage and Travolta give both as themselves and each other. 

The film grossed over $245 million worldwide on an $80 million budget and has since become a cult classic. Its legacy rests heavily on the glorious performances of Cage and Travolta — each chewing scenery as both hero and villain.

Despite Cage's character dying at the end of Face/Off, Cage has been vocal about his interest in returning in the sequel, which was announced back in 2021. 

In a previous interview with Collider, he teased how expansive the sequel could become: "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."