Paul Verhoeven, the director of the original Total Recall, has stated in a recent interview that he enjoyed watching Len Wiseman’s 2012 remake fail when it was released last year to poor reviews and an underwhelming $198 million box office haul.
Just for the record, Verhoeven’s version took in $261 million when it was released back in 1990 and is considered by most to be an action/sci-fi classic. Although, I suppose it depends on how you define the word “classic.” Personally, I’m a big fan of the original and if you can enjoy it for what it is, then you’ll be in for a treat.
Anyways, back to Verhoeven’s comments, here’s what he had to say:
“That was fun,” he said, “[Because] they had been arrogant in interviews. Both the producer and Colin Farrell had been bashing the old one. [Farrell] called it kitsch.”
Sure, I mean, the Total Recall remake wasn’t very good but it’s important to keep in mind that Verhoeven is responsible for one of the most hated films of all time, Showgirls. That being said, if the producer and Farrell had indeed been bashing the director’s original work, then I can see why he’d enjoy watching the remake bomb like it did.
It’s funny, too, because the director is having another one of his films remade, RoboCop. Though the film is still a while away from hitting theatres (it releases February 2014), recent reports have pointed to there being some pretty big problems with it, especially with the script. Director Jose Padilha has gone so far as to say that the production has been “hell” so far. So, unless they turn things around quickly, we may see another one of Verhoeven’s films get butchered.
What do you think of all this? Did you enjoy the Total Recall remake? Are you looking forward to seeing the new RoboCop? Let us know in the comments section below.