Colin Farrell To Gain Total Recall

According to the Trades former hard drinking ladies man and damn good actor Colin Farrell has been offered the lead role in the Len Wiseman adaption of Phillip K. Dick's "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale" which is better known under the name "Total Recall" which was the name of the original movie adaption of the story starring Arnie and directed by Paul Verhoeven.

Here's a synopsis of the short story: (Wiki)

Douglas Quail, a simple and ordinary man, wishes to visit Mars. Unable to afford it, he visits a company, Rekal, Incorporated, that offers implanted memories ("extra-factual memory"). The attempt to implant some racy Mars memories of Quail as a secret agent reveals that Quail actually is an undercover government assassin with a mind full of dangerous secrets. The Rekal staff quickly get Quail out of their office; he heads home and finds certain physical evidence to support his new old memories. The government initially seeks his death but instead Quail manages to make a deal. He returns to Rekal to have his Mars memories once more suppressed, and is offered by way of compensation a set of heroic wish-fulfillment false memories. The Rekal staff begin the memory-implanting procedure — and uncover a different and older set of suppressed memories revealing that the unbelievable memories they are about to insert are already there and are true.

Personally I am all for a fresh adaption, I enjoyed the Verhoeven version in all it's garish and ultra violent action packed darkly satirical glory, but it's dated, a last vestige of the 80's if you will (It was released in 1990).

Wiseman is a director who's style I like and I thought he did a great job with Live Free or Die Hard; A more high tech espionage version of Dick's classic sci fi story is a chance for him to up his reputation further and nabbing Farrell as his lead is an excellent start.

Farrell was hot stuff in Hollywood in the early part of the decade but after a couple of flops and the birth of his son he settled down and ditched the wild lifestyle and Hollywood circuit to concentrate of being a father. He continued his acting in smaller movies and garnered critical praise for his work, not least in swearathon black comedy "In Bruges," Total Recall is potentially the kind of smart action blockbuster to get him back at the top table of A list actors.