Reinventing old films seems to be all the rage at the moment: we just reported that a prequel to Ridley Scott's science fiction horror, Alien, is on the way, Star Trek has been reborn and now Collider.com reports that the 1990 movie, Total Recall, based on Philip K. Dick's short story We Can Remember It For You Wholesale is being remade too.

What is really bizarre about this piece of news is that the studio behind the new Total Recall remake is called Original Films. There's hardly anything original about rehashing a big budget science fiction from the past is there? Unless their name refers to the fact that they buy the rights to “original films” and come up with something else entirely?

For those of you who don't remember or haven't watched it, Total Recall stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as construction worker Douglas Quaid who buys a fictional vacation to Mars from a company that specialises in implanting false memories. While the ideas and plot are great, with numerous psychological twists along the way, a combination of cardboard acting from Schwarzenegger and Paul Verhoeven 's pulpish, violent, cartoon style direction creates a 2 dimensional blood fest with little left to think about after the final credits have rolled. Even so, it is an entertaining mix, with plenty of visual thrills and crazy moments (especially for fans of 2 dimensional, violent blood fests involving mutants and alien artefacts). A more serious approach to Dick’s original science fiction story, however, with the addition of modern day special effects and a lead with more acting range could be stunning. It's based on a Philip K. Dick story after all.

Director and writer Kurt Wimmer will write the screenplay.

What do you think about a Total Recall remake? Must admit, I'd like to see it!

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