Editing John Woo (section)

===1993–2000: Move to the United States and international success===
An émigré in 1993, the director experienced difficulty in cultural adjustment while contracted with [[Universal Pictures|Universal Studios]] to direct [[Jean-Claude Van Damme]] in ''[[Hard Target]]''. Like other foreign national film directors confronted with the Hollywood environment, Woo was unaccustomed to pervasive management concerns over matters such as limitations on violence and completion schedules. When initial cuts failed to yield an [[MPAA film rating system|"R" rated film]], the studio assumed control of the project and edited footage to produce a cut "suitable for American audiences".

A three-year hiatus saw Woo next direct [[John Travolta]] and [[Christian Slater]] in ''[[Broken Arrow (1996 film)|Broken Arrow]].'' A frenetic chase-themed film, the director once again found himself hampered by studio management and editorial concerns. Despite a larger budget than his previous ''[[Hard Target]],'' the final feature lacked the trademark Woo style. Public reception saw modest financial success.

Reluctant to pursue projects which would necessarily entail front-office controls, the director cautiously rejected the script for ''[[Face/Off]]'' several times until it was rewritten to suit him. (The futuristic setting was changed to a contemporary one.) [[Paramount Pictures]] also offered the director significantly more freedom to exercise his speciality: emotional characterisation and elaborate action. A complex story of adversaries—each of whom surgically alters their identity—law enforcement agent [[John Travolta]] and terrorist [[Nicolas Cage]] play a cat-and-mouse game, trapped in each other's outward appearance. ''Face/Off'' opened in 1997 to critical acclaim and strong attendance. Grosses in the United States exceeded $100&nbsp;million. ''Face/Off'' was also nominated for an [[Academy Award]] in the category [[Academy Award for Best Sound Editing|Sound Effects Editing]] ([[Mark Stoeckinger]]) at the [[70th Academy Awards]].

Around this period, Woo would also produce and direct several film and TV projects. In 1996, Woo produced and directed ''[[Once a Thief (1996 film)|Once a Thief]]'', a Canadian [[made-for-television]] remake of Woo's 1991 caper film. The teleplay subsequently spawned a [[television series]] [[Once a Thief (TV series)|of the same name]], which Woo executive produced.  In 1998, Woo directed ''[[Blackjack (1998 film)|Blackjack]]'', which featured [[Dolph Lundgren]] as a [[Chromophobia#Terminology|leukophobic]] bodyguard who hunts down an assassin. The film was intended as a [[backdoor pilot]] for a television series, but was not picked up. That same year, Woo served as executive producer and action choreographer on [[Antoine Fuqua]]'s directorial debut ''[[The Replacement Killers]]'', which featured [[Chow Yun-Fat]]'s first international starring role.

Later, Woo directed ''[[Mission: Impossible 2]]'', the second entry in the [[Tom Cruise]]-led [[Mission: Impossible (film series)|action film series]]. Despite receiving mixed reviews, ''Mission: Impossible 2'' grossed over $549 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing film of 2000,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?yr=2000&p=.htm|title=2000 Yearly Box Office Results|access-date=19 October 2012|archive-date=6 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121006084133/http://boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?yr=2000&p=.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> as well as of Woo's career.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.the-numbers.com/person/154440401-John-Woo#tab=technical&all_technical_credits=od5|title=John Woo - Box Office|access-date=16 October 2023|archive-date=4 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231204041225/https://www.the-numbers.com/person/154440401-John-Woo#tab=technical&all_technical_credits=od5|url-status=live}}</ref>