After bringing one, unfinished scene to Comic-Con’s Hall H last year, Len Wiseman and his Total Recall cast were back with a sizzle reel full of completed CG work, robot police officers and Kate Beckinsale really trying to kill Colin Farrell.
Of course, she was a lot less violent on the panel and Wiseman definitely scored by bringing his other half, plus Farrell, Jessica Biel and consummate showman Bryan Cranston, who got one of the biggest reactions when he wanted to find out how the interpreter for the deaf people in the audience would sign “douchebag” when talking about his character, Cohaagen.
The panel was a chatty, funny one, with Farrell tackling everything from filling Arnold Schwarzenegger’s big, BIG shoes and Cranston revealing that everyone in the cast slept with Wiseman to get the role. Beckinsale was also able to bring up her comic horror at Wiseman choosing his real-life wife to play a psychotic killer / faux partner for Farrell.
As for the footage, it was similar to what has been seen in the trailers, with lots of magnetic cars, Farrell running, jumping and shooting, and just the briefest glimpse of Bill Nighy’s Kuato. And, of course, the massive China Fall elevator system which runs through the Earth’s core.
While Total Recall still has a way to go before people stop thinking about Paul Verhoeven’s 1990 effort, the crowd seemed to like what they saw. The film itself arrives August 29.