Next up on the remake train? The 1997 John Woo action hit Face/Off.
Deadline reports that Oren Uziel, writer of The Cloverfield Paradox and the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog, will pen the screenplay, with Neal H. Moritz, best known for the Fast and Furious franchise, producing at Paramount.
Of course, the original film starred John Travolta and Nicolas Cage as a cop and villain, respectively, who have their faces surgically reversed. The result was a big-budget Hollywood film where John Travolta plays Nicolas Cage and Nicolas Cages plays John Travolta. Add to that the action chops of director John Woo and Face/Off grossed almost $US250 million ($364 million) worldwide achieving blockbuster, and cult, status. Now, 22 years later, the idea of those two playing each other sounds like a direct-to-streaming midnighter. But in 1997 it worked oh so well and still does.
We get the idea of remaking a film with some name recognition and a solid premise, but Face/Off isn’t good because of its name or premise. It’s good because of the actors and director. Now, are there two actors out there with enough wild energy and charisma to make this premise fly again, and a director with the talent to harness that? Absolutely. We just don’t know who that would be.
Leave a Reply