Synopsis

FBI agent Sean Archer undergoes an experimental face transplant to impersonate Castor Troy, the terrorist who killed his son, and uncover a planned attack. When Troy awakens from a coma, he takes Archer's face and identity for himself. Trapped in each other's lives, the two men race to stop a bombing while fighting to reclaim their bodies, families, and reputations.

Factoids & Trivia

• Mike Werb and Michael Colleary first wrote the screenplay in 1990. The project went through more than 30 drafts and several prospective directors before reaching production.

• The writers drew part of the premise from a real reconstructive surgery story involving a man whose face had been removed and rebuilt after a hang-gliding accident.

• Nicolas Cage and John Travolta spent two weeks together before filming, studying one another's gestures, posture, vocal patterns, and mannerisms so they could convincingly perform each other's characters.

• Test audiences reacted poorly to the original ending, which did not show the orphan joining the Archer family. The filmmakers brought several cast members back for additional photography to create the ending used in the released film.

• Principal photography took place in the Los Angeles area and ran from January 4 to April 1, 1997. Locations included Baldwin Park, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, San Pedro Bay, and Victorville.

• Made on an estimated $80 million budget, the film earned more than $245 million worldwide.

• The film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Sound Effects Editing at the 70th Academy Awards.

• The medical technology shown in the film was fictionalized, but the screenplay was designed to present the face transplant as a surgical procedure rather than a supernatural or purely fantastical transformation.