While I still just don’t understand the need for this remake, one of the latest actors cast really intrigues me. For months there has been development on the remake of the sci-fi actioner Total Recall and recent news has just about summed up the major casting. Kate Beckinsale, it has been confirmed will play Lori, Quaid’s wife. The second female lead, Jessica Biel will play Melina, the woman from his dreams and soldier of the resistance (well that’s if elements of the Verhoeven film are repeated here).
But the coup de grace, Bill Nighy will play Quatto (changed from Kuato). Now before you start imagining him as that creepy psychic mutant leader of the resistance, remember this. The new story that omits the Mars plotline and istead gives us two nation states called Euroamerica and New Shanghai (read: again, no more Mars). Farrell will play Quaid/Hauser, a factory worker with delusions that he’s a spy; the catch here is that he doesn’t know whose side he’s on. Oh, and don’t forget that Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) was cast earlier as Cohaagen.
Seems they’ve thrown out most of the science fiction that helped make the original such an imaginative success. Can’t say that’ll bode well for this remake of the Ah-nuld classic As a huge fan of the original. I totally balked at the idea of this, yet these days, a “remake” isn’t a guaranteed failure. Admittedly, some things from the 80’s and 90’s and hokey and cheesy to the new generation and that said I’m willing to take off my nostalgia glasses and see how this develops. Directed by Len Wiseman, I don’t expect very much and foresee something about as grungy but hopefully better than Babylon A.D…but I’m not holding my breath.
UPDATE: In a surprising turn, Sulu, I mean Harold, I mean John Cho has been added to the cast. He’ll play a character McClane, the silk tonged representative for the company (possibly Rekall?) that convinces Quaid (played by Ray Baker in the original) to get those ambiguously delusional memory implants. Cho has come a long way since American Pie and based on his work in Star Trek and FlashForward I can easily see him in the role (brief though it’ll probably be).
This new Total Recall, which is currently filming, is set for a release on August 3rd, 2012. It’s still over a year away, but I’ll ask you all. Anyone looking forward to this? Any fans of the original fumed about this remake? Anyone think this has any merit?? What do you think of the casting thus far??
