Len Wiseman, director of Live Free or Die Hard and the first two “Underworld” films is in final negotiations to helm the remake of the 1990 Paul Verhoeven sci-fi flick starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Columbia pictures just announced the choice, which will see a new, contemporary adaptation of Total Recall, which was based on the
story, “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale” by Philip K. Dick.
Kurt Wimmer, who just saw his latest screenplay perform well with the release of Salt will assume the writing role for the 2011 release.
Many have understandably balked at the frivolousness of a remake of a film just twenty years old, especially for a seminal sci-fi feature that many consider to be one of Schwarzenegger’s best films.
But studio heads are confident, saying that “Len has an incredible love of the genre and a great gift for action. He’ll bring a contemporary feel to the film while taking care with everything we love about Philip K. Dick’s original story.”
“I’ve always been fascinated with Philip K. Dick’s short story” says Wiseman, “I’m excited at that prospect of diving even deeper into the type of world it evokes and the questions it asks.”
Wiseman will also play the role of producer for “Underworld 4,” also set for a 2011 release.
