Len Wiseman is in final negotiations to direct Columbia Pictures' "Total Recall" remake, the studio announced on Thursday.
Kurt Wimmer ("Salt") is writing a new, contemporized adaptation of Philip K. Dick's short story "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale."
I'm not going to pretend to be some major "Total Recall" fan, but I recognize that the movie means a lot to a certain segment of the fanboy community, and with that in mind, I can't imagine why they're handing the property to Wiseman, who previously directed a pair of schlocky action movies in the underwhelming "Underworld" franchise, as well as "Live Free or Die Hard," which was an utter miscalculation of a sequel.
I don't have anything against Wiseman personally, but as a filmmaker, his work leaves a lot to be desired.
That said, I saw Columbia's "Salt" last night and thought it was fantastic, particularly Wimmer's screenplay, which was originally developed for Tom Cruise.
With Wimmer writing "Total Recall," the project is at least in safe hands before it goes before cameras, and its success beyond that will depend on who the studio casts in the lead role previously inhabited by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Neal H. Moritz will produce the remake through his Original Films, whose Toby Jaffe will oversee production on behalf of the company.
Columbia president Matt Tolmach and Sam Dickerman will oversee the project for the studio, which secured the rights to "Total Recall" from Miramax.
Wiseman recently directed CBS' pilot for its "Hawaii Five-O" reboot. He is executive producing "Underworld 4," which is set for release on September 23, 2011. Additionally, Wiseman has long been attached to direct the big-screen adaptation of the popular video game "Gears of War."
Wiseman is represented by ICM.
