Filling Arnold Schwarzenegger's shoes in any capacity is difficult, but it's even harder when you're about to portray one of his most iconic roles. A few months back it was announced that Colin Farrell had been cast in the lead of Len Wiseman's remake of Total Recall. Fans immediately began spitting fire on the project, saying that nobody could beat the 1990 Paul Verhoven-directed version. Initially Farrell himself was part of that crowd.
Earlier today I had the opportunity to sit in with Farrell as part of a roundtable interview and brought up the subject of the Total Recall remake, which is set to start up production in a few weeks. I started by asking about his relationship, which he quickly professed his love for.
"Total Recall, again, another thing I loved. Verhoven's is so brilliant, so brilliant. I loved it and, again, all these kind of [mock screams after hearing about the remake]. I just really liked the script."
It wasn't only the script that heightened Farrell's interest in the project. Meeting with Wiseman to discuss the film, the actor was introduced to some of the concept art , which apparently blew him away. He did, however, mention that a project doesn't always end up the way that it starts.
"I met Len [Wiseman], I saw some of the artistic renderings of what he's going to do with that world and it's amazing! I mean, who knows what a film is from its conception to its full realization, so many factors involved. You always go in with hope and with expectation. I just know what he's going to do as far as creating that world. And it's great."
Further debunking rumors that the story is closer to the original Philip K. Dick short story "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale," Farrell was adamant that there's plenty more to explore with the characters and the world.
"There's literally stuff to be done with that same story. And it's not, and I read some blurb it's going back to the original short story. No it's not! It's Kafka, the original short story, I mean it was Philip K. Dick, but it was so dark and it was such a kind of omnipresent sense of power and corruption, and that plays into ours as well, but it's not nearly as dark as the original. But it's good stuff. It's good stuff. So I'm going to start that in a couple weeks."
After suffering from over exposure, and reinventing himself with 2008's In Bruge, my faith in Colin Farrell's work has skyrocketed through the roof. While the Verhoven-Schwarzenegger is certainly an awesome movie, there is indeed quite a bit that can be done with the concept and it seems that they are taking advantage of that.
