John Woo’s 90s action thriller Face/Off is getting a remake, which means that another two Hollywood stars are going to have to swap faces (and bodies), but who should it be? The original Face/Off, directed by Woo and released in 1997, saw Nicolas Cage and John Travolta as sworn enemies who end up trading places and appearances.
It’s a ridiculous film, even by the standards of 90s action cinema, but that’s also what makes Face/Off such a weird cult classic, and the remake a tricky proposition. It needs to balance the silliness with genuinely good action, thrills, and humor. Having a writer from 22 Jump Street might help in that regard, but where the Face/Off remake is going to live or die is its new cast.
The original featured two stars at the height of their popularity giving over-the-top performances, and that’s what the Face/Off remake is going to need to try and replicate. There are lots of possibilities for who it might cast, but one of these pairings should help it succeed.
Angela Bassett/Michelle Yeoh
Angela Bassett and Michelle Yeoh are set to star together in Gunpowder Milkshake, and they’ve already proven to be one of the most popular pairings on social media for the Face/Off remake - with good reason. Bassett is a powerhouse actor, and Yeoh certainly has the acting chops. There’s no reason Face/Off couldn’t be gender-flipped, and these two would have an absolute blast playing against one another.
Tom Hardy/Logan Marshall-Green
A lot has been made of how much Tom Hardy and Logan Marshall-Green lookalike, and there is no movie more perfect to finally put that to good use than the Face/Off remake. Both actors are viable action stars, and the kind who might just do something as crazy as this, and if you really wanted to take Face/Off to a whole new meta-level (which might be the way to make this work), then this is the way to go.
Daniel Kaluuya/Lakeith Stanfield
In Get Out, Lakeith Stanfield was the man Daniel Kaluuya might become. Well, now they can finally experience what it’s like to be the other by swapping places in Face/Off. They’re two great talents who can do action, drama, and comedy: let Kaluuya cut loose, and have Stanfield play the straight(er) man, and this could be gold.
Leonardo DiCaprio/Brad Pitt
Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt finally starred together in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, and it was movie magic. After waiting so long, Hollywood should capitalize on this pairing as much as possible. They played best friends, so now make them sworn enemies in Face/Off, and just let two of the modern greats go all out against each other.
Charlize Theron/Emily Blunt
Charlize Theron and Emily Blunt starred together in The Huntsman: Winter’s War, a fact even they probably don’t remember. That aside, they’re two of the finest action stars of the decade, have the dramatic and comedic chops required, they’re incredibly versatile, and would have an absolutely wild time starring together in the Face/Off remake.
The Rock/Keanu Reeves
The Rock and Keanu Reeves starring together in a movie makes too much sense to not happen. They apparently have plans to work together, and what if they’ve really been texting each other about Face/Off? This is about as close a pairing as you can get to Travolta/Cage in the modern era, and it would destroy both the box-office and the internet.
Nic Cage/John Travolta
Why get new actors for Face/Off when the originals are still going? In the last 20 years or so, both Nic Cage and John Travolta have only taken even weirder parts, and this would be a fascinating encounter. Switch their roles around, go heavy on the meta, and let the old rivalry commence.
More: Casting Keanu Reeves In The MCU: The Best Characters He Could Play
