Face/Off, one of the ’90s most ridiculous (but awesome) action movies is getting a reboot… for some reason.
The 1997 John Woo film is mainly remembered for its ultra-hammy performances from stars John Travolta and Nicholas Cage. In the film, Cage’s master criminal and Travolta’s FBI agent surgically trade faces, leading each character to impersonate the other in increasingly ludicrous situations. It’s an absurd blast to watch, but one that’s almost wholly dependent on its two leads and the time period in which it was released. And yet, someone at Paramount Pictures seems to think it’s a good idea to try and recapture the magic.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, a Face/Off reboot is in the works from Oren Uziel, one of the writers behind 22 Jump Street. That film is a sequel to a comedy reboot of a dramatic late ’80s TV show, and the fact that Uziel is spearheading Face/Off may indicate that Paramount is looking for a similar angle for their reboot. In other words, the new Face/Off may be intentionally funny instead of taking its silly premise so seriously that you can’t help but laugh, and frankly, that’s the only way we could actually see a Face/Off reboot working. Fast & Furious franchise producer Neal Moritz is on board to produce, as is original Face/Off producer David Permut, so the reboot should have plenty of action as well.
It’s way too early to speculate on casting for the new film, but if Cage and Travolta wanted to reprise their roles, we wouldn’t hate it.
