Adam Wingard hopes Nicolas Cage stars in Face/Off sequel

Adam Wingard is desperate for Nicolas Cage to star in his 'Face/Off' sequel.

The 39-year-old director is helming a follow-up to the John Woo's 1997 action film – that starred Cage and John Travolta – and says it will be an "absolute sequel" to allow the 'National Treasure' actor to return despite his character's death in the original flick.

Adam told Empire magazine: "He's just having such a moment. Even before 'Pig' came out, we saw this as a Nicolas Cage movie.

"That's become totally the obvious way to go now. A couple of years ago, the studio maybe would have wanted a hot, young, up-and-coming actor or something. Now, Nicolas Cage is one of the hottest actors in Hollywood again."

Adam is writing the movie with longtime collaborator Simon Barrett and says it has been "the most challenging script we've ever worked on" as he wants to get the project right.

The 'Godzilla vs. Kong' filmmaker said: "There's so much pressure wanting to make sure that it lives up to the legacy of that project. But every draft you have these things that just click in, and you're like, 'A-ha! That's really what 'Face/Off' is!'

"We're really honing in on it. We're not going to share it until everybody's like, 'This is the one.'"

Wingard previously suggested that he and Barrett had been given full control over the sequel.

The director explained: "This is 100 per cent our story and our script. We're making a sequel. But that's the exciting part about it, that it's our version of what would happen after 'Face/Off', 20-plus years later."

Adam also confirmed that there would be no holding back when it comes to dramatic action sequences.

He said: "It's just thinking bigger. It's not necessarily easy to go from the independent way of thinking to the big-budget thing, but once you're there, the sky's the limit."