In 1997, Hollywood stars Nicolas Cage and John Travolta starred together in John Woo’s cult classic, Face/Off. Apart from the film making great numbers at the box office, Cage and Travolta’s chemistry was a sight to behold for audiences worldwide. In addition, two A-list stars with impressive filmographies sharing screen space worked heavily in the film’s favor.
The exciting action aside, Face/Off worked best as a psychological thriller, and the idea for making it so, goes to Oscar winner Michael Douglas, who was one of the producers of the film. The veteran’s valuable input about the path the narrative should take ultimately resulted in its success.
Michael Douglas’s Instinct For Nicolas Cage’s Face/Off Proved To Be Spot-On
John Woo’s Face/Off starring Nicolas Cage and John Travolta became one of Hollywood’s highest grossers of the year. The unique narrative about an FBI agent assuming the face and appearance of a criminal worked as an action-packed entertainer. However, it was the tense psychological nuances in the chemistry between the two characters that elevated the film multifold.
Tweaking the narrative in this manner required a confident decision to be made, and this was done by the film’s producer, Michael Douglas. The Oscar-winning actor called upon director John Woo to completely rewrite the script and elaborated on the benefits of doing so. In an interview with The Independent, Douglas said,
“This is a psychological thriller masquerading as an action film. Write that movie and you’ll get not just movie stars but great actors. If we get offered good and evil, it’s always as identical twins. This is something different”.
As it turned out, The Wall Street actor’s experience and instinct turned out to be absolutely right. With Nicolas Cage and John Travolta proving themselves as powerhouse performers, Face/Off became one of the most talked about films of the year.
Nicolas Cage Almost Did Not Star In Face/Off
It is hard to imagine any two actors other than Nicolas Cage and John Travolta playing the two protagonists in John Woo’s Face/Off. The 1997 cult classic saw the stars literally face off in a psychological battle between their characters, with both actors turning in impressive performances. Interestingly, audiences may not have had the opportunity to see Cage portray this character at all.
Apart from a whole host of top A-listers like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Harrison Ford, and Sylvester Stallone who were considered for the role, Bruce Willis was also a favorite to be cast in the film. With his huge popularity headlining the action-packed Die Hard series, director John Woo’s original vision was to create a film that would incorporate traditional elements of action, for which Willis was perfectly suited.
It was after producer Michael Douglas’s insistence on a different track for the narrative, that Nicolas Cage and John Travolta entered the picture. This decision turned out to be a masterstroke, as the Ghost Rider star and the Pulp Fiction actor’s memorable performances are still being spoken about today.
