Nicolas Cage Stokes Hopes For Face/Off 2
Remember "Face/Off?" Yes, the 1997 Nicolas Cage and John Travolta starrer, which follows a bonkers plot of face-swapping, slo-mo gun-wielding, and a lot of (fun) melodrama. It seems like Cage might return for a potential "Face/Off 2," as he recently confirmed that he has been in talks with "Face/Off" producer Neal H. Moritz. Speaking to Comic Book, Cage explained that "some calls" are being made by Moritz in an attempt to help the sequel materialize, and that he might be interested if it were to actually happen:
"There have been some phone calls with Neal [Moritz], who I enjoyed very much working with on the first Face/Off. He's one of the true great producers in Hollywood, and they have been making some calls. The other ones like National Treasure, their priority was a TV show and godspeed to them, but maybe Face/Off."
While this is not confirmation of any kind, there surely is hope for "Face/Off" fans, and Cage enthusiasts in general (it certainly is for me, as I'm both).
Will faces come off ... again?
The idea of a "Face/Off" sequel has been in the works for some time, since Paramount's announcement that a remake would be made with a fresh cast of characters. This particular aspect was met with criticism, and understandably so — the beating heart of "Face/Off", and the reason why it is such an unforgettable action-thriller, is Cage and Travolta's face and role swaps, that lead to some pretty badass moments in the film.
However, since Adam Wingard ("Godzilla vs. Kong") and writer Simon Barrett's names have been attached to the upcoming sequel, there has been a shift in the way in which "Face/Off 2" will be approached. Barrett confirmed sometime last year that "Face/Off" will be a direct sequel instead of a remake, although it remains to be seen whether both leads will for the story to continue (via ComicBook):
"When you're doing a movie like Face/Off 2, you're actually not allowed to talk about it. But we had an announcement and I don't even know if the announcement was actually totally intentional, in that it was announced as like a Face/Off remake, and Adam [Wingard] and I had to actually get vocal and say, 'No, it's not a remake. It's a direct sequel.'
Whether that's better or worse, we don't really care, because we think it's better, but it definitely is better than a Face/Off remake, because you pretty much know where that would go, don't you? Whereas continuing the story of Castor Troy and Sean Archer and maybe adding some younger characters to the mix, to me, is much more interesting."
At the end of "Face/Off," Cage's character, Castor Troy, was seemingly killed, while Travolta's Archer had gotten his face back and decided to take in Troy's son as his own. A direct sequel could definitely revolve around Troy's son, with Cage's character returning in some capacity, making way for things to get absurd and unpredictable again. However, what made "Face/Off" unique can definitely be attributed to John Woo's vision, whereas Wingard might end up taking a completely different tonal route with the upcoming sequel.
If Cage were to indeed return to the sequel, we would love to see him do something along the lines of headbanging in a priest outfit or shooting bullets in an airport hangar with sunglasses on. Or whatever Nic Cage does best.
Meanwhile, you can watch Cage play Cage in his most recent film, "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent," which is currently playing in theaters.