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Face/Off is a 1997 American sci-fi action film directed by John Woo and written by Mike Werb and Michael Colleary. The film stars John Travolta and Nicolas Cage alongside Joan Allen, Gina Gershon, Alessandro Nivola, aDominique Swain, Nick Cassavetes, Harve Presnell, Colm Feore, CCH Pounder, and Thomas Jane.
Synopsis[]
In this sci-fi action classic, FBI agent Sean Archer undergoes facial replacement surgery to resemble deranged criminal Castor Troy, only for Troy to turn the tables on him by making himself look like Archer.
Cast[]
- John Travolta as Sean Archer/Castor Troy
- Nicolas Cage as Castor Troy/Sean Archer
- Joan Allen as Eve Archer
- Alessandro Nivola as Pollux Troy
- Gina Gershon as Sasha Hassler
- Dominique Swain as Jamie Archer
- Nick Cassavetes as Dietrich Hassler
- Harve Presnell as Victor Lazarro
- Colm Feore as Dr. Malcolm Walsh
- John Carroll Lynch as Prison Guard Walton
- CCH Pounder as Hollis Miller
- Robert Wisdom as Tito Biondi
- Margaret Cho as Wanda Chang
- Thomas Jane as Burke Hicks
- James Denton as Buzz
- Tommy Flanagan as Leo
- Matt Ross as Loomis
- Chris Bauer as Ivan Dubov
- Danny Masterson as Karl
- Myles Jeffrey as Michael Archer
- David McCurley as Adam Hassler
- Romy Walthall as Kimberly
- Paul Hipp as Fitch
- Kirk Baltz as Aldo
- Lisa Boyle as Cindee
- Lauren Sinclair as Agent Winters
- Steve Hytner as Agent Howell
Production[]
Mike Werb and Michael Colleary were inspired to write the script after a friend of theirs injured himself in a hang gliding accident and needed facial surgery. In the original draft, the film was set in the future, but when John Woo signed on, he insisted that it remain in the present day so that they could focus on the psychological aspects of the film. Rob Cohen was set to direct, but constant delays had him dropping out and he directed Dragonheart instead. Before Travolta and Cage were cast, the studio considered several other pairings including Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis and Alec Baldwin, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Steven Seagal, Denzel Washington and Wesley Snipes, Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, and Harrison Ford and Michael Douglas. Douglas serves as an executive producer on the film.
Trivia[]
- This is one of several films that Disney co-produced with studio Paramount Pictures. While both Touchstone and Paramount are mentioned in the opening credits, Touchstone (Disney) owns the international distribution while Paramount owns the American distribution.
- John Woo insisted on leaving the slash in the title as he didn't want people thinking it was a hockey movie.
- Facial replacement surgery wouldn't become a reality until 2012, making this film scientifically ahead of its time.
- Margaret Cho's role was written for Chow Yun-fat.
- The magnetic boots worn by the prisoners are the same boots worn by the Goombas in Hollywood Pictures' much maligned film adaptation, Super Mario Bros.
- The film was released the same month as Nicolas Cage's other film Con Air, produced by the same studio that co-produced this one, Touchstone, and were shot so closely together that they nearly overlapped.
- One of Nicolas Cage's favorite films to have worked on.
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