Currently enjoying buzz for Godzilla vs. Kong, Adam Wingard is certainly not resting on his laurels. With Face/Off 2 in the works, as well as a ThunderCats feature, the director is going to be busy over the next few years. In terms of the former film, it’s being developed as a sequel to the 1997 John Woo original, and Wingard has been dropping hints as to what audiences can expect.
The director recently opened up about his plans for the picture, which include fixing the body-swap problems of Face/Off, and bringing back Nicolas Cage and John Travolta in some capacity. Speaking to Deadline several days ago, this is what Wingard had to say regarding progress on Face/Off 2:
“I’m going to do the next available thing, quickly. Maybe that’s Face/Off 2. When I look at Face/Off, some people have said if you are going to follow that film, it’s about the operation, a sci-fi gimmick. To me, that’s now what it is. It’s part of it and is what makes it so unique and fun. But the story is really about the characters. Sean Archer and Castor Troy. The film is a follow-up to their story, and what it entails.”
From these comments, it appears that the filmmaker is keen to plough ahead with the movie, something perhaps owing to the long gestation period for Godzilla vs. Kong. It’s also promising to hear him talk about the importance of fleshing out characters, even in a high-concept action-thriller like Face/Off. Of course, the 38-year-old hasn’t always made characterization the focus of his work, and has even noted that the Godzilla vs. Kong MonsterVerse would benefit from having fewer human figures.
Based on what we’ve heard so far related to Face/Off 2, it’s aiming to be true to the gonzo energy of its predecessor, including having an epic tone. Furthermore, casting Cage and Travolta, which is as-yet-unconfirmed, but seems almost certain to happen, will ensure continuity with the 1990s hit. With Godzilla vs. Kong, Wingard proved that he could take on a studio blockbuster and deliver a concise, crowd-pleasing spectacle, and he now looks set to be following through on the early promise shown by You’re Next and The Guest.
We’d imagine the priority for the Face/Off 2 producers will be finding a duo capable of living up to the identity stealing plot, and the Internet definitely has clear ideas in mind on who would be good candidates. With Wingard having collaborated on a screenplay with Simon Barrett during lockdown, we’d hope that things can get off the ground soon with the production.