Editing Face/Off (section)

==Production==
''Face/Off'' was written by [[Mike Werb]] and [[Michael Colleary]] in 1990 as a [[spec script]]. They were inspired to write it after a mutual friend injured themselves in a hang-gliding accident. The injury required the friend’s face to be removed and reconstructed before being re-added onto their body. Werb and Colleary were also inspired by the film ''[[White Heat]]'' to create a plot where the main character survived a prison riot. ''Face/Off'' initially had a futuristic setting.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=1997 |title=Interviews: Produced Writer Mike Werb |url=http://www.writersupercenter.com/studionotes/interviews8.shtml |access-date=2024-02-27 |website=Writer Super Center}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Housman |first=Andrew |date=2022-03-23 |title=Believe It Or Not, Face/Off Could Have Been Even Weirder |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/807945/believe-it-or-not-faceoff-could-have-been-even-weirder/ |access-date=2024-02-27 |website=SlashFilm |language=en-US}}</ref> ''Face/Off'' was optioned to [[Joel Silver]] and [[Warner Bros.]] in 1991. The option expired in 1994 and the project was purchased by [[Paramount Pictures]]. American director and producer [[Rob Cohen]] was originally set to direct the film but when the project was in a [[Turnaround (filmmaking)|turnaround]] Cohen left to direct ''[[Dragonheart]]'' (1996).<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 27, 2017 |title=15 Peachy Facts About Face/Off |url=https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/65363/15-peachy-facts-about-faceoff |website=Mental Floss}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Jones |first=Ralph |date=June 27, 2022 |title=The oral history of 'Face/Off,' Nicolas Cage's inexplicable sci-fi masterpiece |url=https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/face-off-oral-history/ |website=Inverse}}</ref> [[John Woo]] became attached in 1996.<ref name="Christopher Heard 2000">Christopher Heard. ''Ten thousand bullets: the cinema of John Woo''. Los Angeles: Lone Eagle Publ, 2000. {{ISBN|1-58065-021-X}}</ref> Various actor pairings were considered for the parts of Sean Archer and Castor Troy, such as [[Sylvester Stallone]] and [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]],  [[Michael Douglas]] and [[Harrison Ford]], and [[Alec Baldwin]] and [[Bruce Willis]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Phipps|first= Keith |author-link= |date= March 29, 2022 |title= Age of Cage:Four Decades of Hollywood Through One Singular Career|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=7yIQEAAAQBAJ |publisher= Henry Holt and Company|chapter=8: Action Cage |isbn=9781250773036|quote=As various filmmakers considered the film, pairings like Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Douglas and Harrison Ford, and Alec Baldwin and Bruce Willis, came and went.}}</ref>

[[Johnny Depp]] wanted to play Sean Archer but passed on the role after reading the script.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Ralph |date=September 10, 2019 |title=A deep dive into 'Face/Off': The best, most absurd action film ever made |url=https://www.shortlist.com/news/a-deep-dive-into-face-off-the-most-absurd-and-best-action-film-ever-made/ |website=Shortlist}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Phipps|first= Keith |author-link= |date= March 29, 2022 |title= Age of Cage:Four Decades of Hollywood Through One Singular Career|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=7yIQEAAAQBAJ |publisher= Henry Holt and Company|chapter=8: Action Cage |isbn=9781250773036}}</ref> [[John Woo]] instead hired [[John Travolta]] and [[Nicolas Cage]] to play those characters.<ref>{{cite web |title=Face/Off Production Notes |work=Retro Ramble |date=January 15, 2017 |url=http://retroramble.blog/2017/01/15/face-off-1997-retro-ramble-review_and_podcast_episode/ |publisher=Retroramble |access-date=July 16, 2019 |archive-date=July 16, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190716034014/http://retroramble.blog/2017/01/15/face-off-1997-retro-ramble-review_and_podcast_episode/ |url-status=live }}</ref>  [[Michael Douglas]] served as an executive producer. Werb and Colleary have cited ''[[White Heat]]'' (1949) as an influence on the plot.<ref name="Christopher Heard 2000"/> In preparation, Woo watched ''[[Seconds (1966 film)|Seconds]]'' (1966) directed by [[John Frankenheimer]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Liebenson |first=Donald |date=1997-07-18 |title=John Woo's video rentals |url=https://ew.com/article/1997/07/18/john-woos-video-rentals/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210306232125/https://ew.com/article/1997/07/18/john-woos-video-rentals/ |archive-date=2021-03-06 |access-date=2025-03-28 |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]}}</ref> With an $80 million production budget, ''Face/Off'' made heavy use of action set pieces including several violent shootouts and a boat chase filmed in the [[Greater Los Angeles|Los Angeles area]]. The boat scene at the end of the film was shot in [[San Pedro, Los Angeles|San Pedro]].<ref name="BoxOffice">{{cite web|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=main&id=faceoff.htm|title=Face/Off|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=2007-06-05|archive-date=November 16, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116044456/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=main&id=faceoff.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> Calling the brothers [[Castor and Pollux]] is a reference to [[Greek mythology]]; Castor and Pollux are the twins transformed by the ancient Greek god [[Zeus]] into the constellation [[Gemini (constellation)|Gemini]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.cracked.com/blog/5-movies-plots-given-away-by-characters-names |title=5 Character Names That Give Away Movie Plots |date=May 31, 2014 |access-date=July 30, 2018 |archive-date=July 30, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180730170731/http://www.cracked.com/blog/5-movies-plots-given-away-by-characters-names/ |url-status=live }}</ref>