Adam Wingard Exits Paramount’s Face/Off Sequel—What Happens Next?
After years of buildup, Adam Wingard has exited Paramount’s Face/Off 2, throwing the long-gestating sequel to the cult classic into uncertainty.
Paramount is back to square one on its Face/Off sequel. Adam Wingard is out, the director’s chair is empty, and the studio is taking new pitches. Yes, the most gloriously bonkers Nicolas Cage/John Travolta showdown ever made still has a pulse — it just needs a captain.
So, what changed?
Wingard, the filmmaker behind Blair Witch and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, quietly exited the project last summer. Both sides agreed to part ways, and the sequel shifted to an open status — meaning other directors can step in and make their case for where to take John Woo’s velocity-and-volcanoes classic next.
A quick rewind on this thing’s winding path
Talk of reviving Face/Off first popped in 2019 as a straight remake, with Neil Moritz lined up to produce and Oren Uziel writing. Plans evolved. In 2021, Wingard signed on to direct a full-on sequel, working from a script he co-wrote with his frequent collaborator Simon Barrett. The idea, at least creatively, sounded like it was leaning into the original’s maximalist spirit.
"I think the script is really fucking awesome," Wingard said in a 2024 interview. "This is a true sequel to Face/Off that I could have never dreamed of."
Where the sequel stands now
Paramount wants Cage and Travolta back — of course it does — but there are no deals in place. That’s the linchpin. Without them, you’re basically just swapping faces in name only. With them, you’ve got an event. The odd wrinkle here: unknown whether the Wingard/Barrett draft stays with the studio or walks with Wingard. If the script sticks around, a new director can build from it. If not, Paramount could be shopping for both a filmmaker and a fresh draft. Either way, someone is going to have to figure out who gets to eat a peach for hours.
What Wingard is doing next
He’s pivoted to an action-horror thriller called Onslaught. The setup: a mother living in a trailer park has to protect her family from something that escaped a secret military base, while mercenaries try to put the genie back in the bottle. It sounds gnarly in a good way, and the cast is stacked:
- Adria Arjona
- Rebecca Hall
- Dan Stevens
- Michael Biehn
- Reginald Vel Johnson
- Drew Starkey
Bottom line: Face/Off 2 isn’t dead; it’s in search mode. Land the right filmmaker, lock in Cage and Travolta, and this could blast off. Miss those pieces, and we’re just trading masks at a much quieter party.