The original 1997 action flick Face/Off isn’t necessarily a good movie by normal standards, but I would contend that it is a perfect movie. So I was understandably wary when it was announced that it would be receiving one of those 25-year+ sequels Hollywood is so intent on making from director Adam Wingard. But according to returning star Nicolas Cage, I needn’t have worried — because against all odds, the sequel sounds like it will be more ridiculous than the original.
If you don’t know the original, it’s one of the most over-the-top films ever created. Taking an utterly preposterous premise — people can surgically swap faces with each other (and have their bodies, eye colours, and voices changed, too, natch) — Face/Off had noted scene-chewers Nicolas Cage and John Travolta are asked to play as the most extreme versions of each other, egged on by the excesses of Hong Kong action-movie master John Woo. The result is utterly unique, unhinged, and entertaining.
And yet, the sequel sounds even wilder. During a recent interview with Collider, Cage revealed the sequel will see the children of his and Travolta’s respective Castor Troy and Sean Archer repeatedly swapping faces with both their fathers and themselves:
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. I had maybe one meeting in an office, but I haven’t heard anything since, so I don’t know.
When asked if there was any credence to Cage’s outlandish claim, screenwriter Simon Barrett answered in the affirmative.
https://twitter.com/a/status/1611528394696699905
Basically, it’s 2 Face/Off 2 Furious, and while that doesn’t ensure it’s going to be entertaining, it’s definitely heading in the right direction, which is over over-the-top.
While you’re here, why not check out Gizmodo Australia’s guide to what’s streaming this month on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Stan, Binge and more. We’ve also got one for all the good movies coming out in 2023 if that’s more your thing.