As I recently said while writing about Danny Ramirez’s clarification on the extent of Captain America: Brave New World’s reshoots, going back to film extra material comes with the territory these days with blockbuster productions. This also happened with Ballerina, the John Wick spinoff that has finally been released to the 2025 movies schedule. However, director Len Wiseman took time to also set the record straight concerning the reshoots for the action franchise’s latest installment. Frankly though, I’m more focused on how he revealed an amazing John Wick: Chapter 3 tie-in that was almost included in Ballerina.

Len Wiseman Is ‘Frustrated’ By How The Ballerina Reshoots Were Reported

Ballerina began principal photography in November 2022 and concluded in February 2023. Then in October 2024, it was reported that Chad Stahelski, who directed the first four John Wick movies and is the franchise’s creative overseer, had helmed several months of reshoots that overhauled much of the movie. Stahelski pushed back against claims of such extensiveness, saying it’d only been two weeks of addition photography that he collaborated on with Len Wiseman. The latter has now thrown his two cents on this subject into the mix, telling THR:

It’d previously been alleged that Len Wiseman was not involved in Ballerina’s reshoots at all, but the filmmaker has debunked those claims. As he laid out, Lionsgate was pleased by an earlier cut of the movie and decided it was worth pouring in additional time and funds to make it even better, which included adding back those scenes that’d previously been removed. The point being, while the Ballerina reshoots were important, they were nowhere near on the same level as something like what 2017’s Justice League went through.

Ballerina Almost Included John Wick 3’s Motorcycle Fight

That’s all well and good, but what really caught my eye in this THR piece was an additional way Ballerina would have acknowledged that it partially takes place during the events of John Wick: Chapter - Parabellum (don’t worry, there are no spoilers here). However, it would have been a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment involving one of that movie’s best action scenes, as Ana de Armas’ Eve Macarro still would have been front and center in the spinoff’s scene, with Len Wiseman explaining:

Wiseman also mentioned that there was a time when Ballerina was going to end with Eve checking into The Continental and going up to her room. Then, as the movie ended with a view of the hotel, there would have been a “screech,” and two motorcycles would have crashed at its base. Meaning, Ballerina’s ending would have shown a different angle of when John Wick and Mark Dascasco’s Zero chaotically arrived at The Continental in Chapter 3. I’m not into that idea as much, but any excuse to revisit the motorcycle sequence would have definitely been welcome.

Head to your local theater now to see what did end up being included in Ballerina’s final cut, and you’re also welcome to read CinemaBlend’s Ballerina review. For those who are now in the mood to revisit John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, it can be streamed with a Peacock subscription.

It’s been eight long years since it was announced that John Wick was getting a spinoff, so there’s no doubt that Ballerina comes highly anticipated for fans of the John Wick franchise. The film — starring Ana de Armas as Eve Macarro, the ballerina assassin who seeks revenge for her father’s death — finally hit the 2025 movie calendar on June 6, and critics are here to help us decide if we want to buy tickets to the new action movie.

The John Wick spinoff Ballerina, according to director Len Wiseman, is actually more of a parallel story, as it takes place between 2019’s Chapter 3 – Parabellum and 2023’s Chapter 4 (available to stream with a Peacock subscription).

The film received a glowing reaction from Tom Cruise (who has sparked dating rumors with Ana de Armas). However, in CinemaBlend’s review of Ballerina, Eric Eisenberg contends his low expectations helped his enjoyment of the “meh” spinoff. He rates the movie 3 out of 5 stars, writing:

Clint Gage of IGN gives the movie a “Great” 8 out of 10, admitting the movie does get off to a slow start, but once the story kicks in, Ballerina proves a worthy offering in the franchise, continuing the traditions that draw fans to John Wick but standing on its own in a surprising way. Gage continues:

Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com gives it 2.5 out of 4 stars, noting that the fight scenes — especially early on — don’t live up to what we’ve come to expect from this franchise. However, the movie’s second half is full of enough action that you won’t care. In Tallerico’s words:

Brian Truitt of USA TODAY calls the Ana de Armas movie a “game-changer,” as the actress is deemed a great addition to the John Wick universe. Truitt enjoys how the character uses more random objects, flamethrowers and knife work for her kills instead of mimicking Wick’s gun fu. He gives the movie 3.5 stars out of 4 and writes:

David Rooney of THR says everyone in Ballerina understands the assignment, including director Len Wiseman, who doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel with the franchise’s new protagonist. The flick very much stays true to the intense gun-fu franchise, making for a great summer afternoon at the movies. Rooney says:

Ballerina is also notable as it was Lance Reddick’s final movie before his 2023 death at age 60. If you’re a fan of the ever-expanding John Wick franchise and want to give this new assassin a shot, Ballerina is in theaters now.

I try and go into every movie with an objective perspective as a means of keeping myself open to surprises both positive and negative… but I am an ordinary human, and it’s literally my job to be aware of how titles get developed and the ups and downs they go through being made. I maintain that I am generally able to not let expectations wholly color my opinions, but I am also cognizant when a production flies up a string of red flags. It’s inevitable that information like that stays at the back of mind when taking in a new release.

My experience watching director Len Wiseman’s Ballerina is a textbook example of this internal conflict. I am a big fan of the John Wick franchise that has birthed this spinoff, with an emphasized appreciation for both the stylized action and the surprisingly engaging worldbuilding – and that fanhood means that I have been acutely aware that this is a movie that went through principal photography nearly three years ago and has spent significant time since then undergoing major reshoots. When a movie gets constantly delayed because it needs to make serious pivots away from the vision that initiated its creation, the end result is not typically a feature that gets labeled with words like “masterpiece.”

As I sat and waited in the theater for Ballerina to start, my attitude amounted to “fear the worst, hope for the best.” I mentally set a low bar, and ultimately, it proved low enough for the action film to step over it. On a narrative and character level, the film skates on doing pretty much the bare minimum (perfect example: it never actually provides a name for the antagonist cult that the hero is targeting for revenge), but when it comes to the ass-kicking, it doesn’t skimp, and it provides satisfying thrills.

Weaving through the established John Wick canon, the film introduces protagonist Eve Macarro as a young girl (Victoria Comte) living on the run with her rogue mercenary father (David Castañeda), and she winds up seeing him killed by a mysterious man named the Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne) and a group of trained soldiers who accuse him of betrayal. Orphaned, Eve is helped by Winston Scott (Ian McShane) – a friend of her father’s – and he has her initiated into the Ruska Roma assassin guild in New York City.

Twelve years later, Eve (Ana de Armas) is on the verge of completing her training, and after having an encounter with the legendary John Wick (Keanu Reeves) – a moment set during the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum – she is sent out for her first mission. Never far from her mind, however, is her desire to find the group responsible for her father’s murder, and when she finally gets a lead, her loyalty to the Ruska Roma is tested as she must seek vengeance without the guild’s approval.

Ballerina sports a too-basic revenge plot that never independently gets exciting.

Reaching for a comparison, I can say that Ballerina is the movie that I thought John Wick: Chapter 2 was going to be when I first saw it in 2017. With the action in the franchise’s seminal film receiving overwhelming acclaim, I was apprehensive that the sequel was going to put a much greater emphasis on cool set pieces and render the big picture dynamics of the assassin-filled world as an afterthought – and I was blissed out when that apprehension turned out to be needless.

It can be said that Ballerina doesn’t ignore the unique qualities of the John Wick world, and it does do some scope-expansion for the canon, but it’s also by far the most undercooked work in the franchise.

The movie’s best idea is the cult run by The Chancellor, which seems like an ordinary European mountain village community until it’s revealed that every man and woman is an armed killer, but it’s hung at the end of what is otherwise a flimsy and overly basic revenge plot. Because of the overt effort to fit Ballerina into the continuity like a puzzle piece, the story takes far too long to get on its feet (it’s not until about 45 minutes into the runtime that Eve starts on her big mission), and all of the twists the film attempts to employ feel like first thoughts and fail to carry any weight.

Ana de Armas shows off some serious skills in set pieces up to the John Wick standard.

Be it because of an unimpressive shooting script or because of the extensive reshoots, Ballerina doesn’t build much of a narrative, but it is able to successfully hang a bunch of on-brand action on to it, and that prevents walking away from the movie overly disappointed. Franchise trademarks provide the framework for the set pieces, with firefights playing out in hotel suites and neon-bathed dance clubs, and the skilled choreography is brilliant.

All 5’6” of Ana de Armas doesn’t make her much a physically imposing threat, but Eve is trained to take every advantage given to her in an altercation, and it’s a joy to watch her get creative – from crotch hits to smashing plates to unleashing the full fury of a flamethrower. Within the canon, it’s an ideal mix of familiar and new, and following the skills she previewed during her quick role alongside Daniel Craig’s James Bond in No Time To Die, de Armas proves herself to be an exceptionally capable action star in her own right.

Arriving a couple months after Lionsgate’s announcement regarding an ambitious expansion of the John Wick world (including John Wick: Chapter 5, a Donnie Yen-directed Caine spinoff, and an animated prequel), Ballerina isn’t quite a “best foot forward” feature arriving at a critical juncture, but the saving grace is that it’s not the disaster that many have fretted while it’s long been awaiting release. Like a battle featuring a flamethrower vs. a firehose, high franchise standards clash with low expectations and the result is tepid but fine.

When it comes to discussing franchises, there is a vast lexicon of terms that can be used to describe different installments. We live in an age where there are far more than just simple sequels: there are spinoffs, prequels, crossovers, team-ups, capstones, legacyquels, reboots, retcons, and more. It provides modern filmmakers with a lot of creative options when it comes to adding to an existing canon, and it’s something that director Len Wiseman very much appreciates when it came to making his new action movie Ballerina starring Ana de Armas.

Ballerina is a title that expands the breadth of the ever-growing John Wick universe (which announced a number of other exciting in-the-works projects a few weeks ago), and it sits in an interesting position within the continuity. When I spoke with the film’s director earlier this year during a press day at 87Eleven Action Design, he explained how the movie slots into the timeline of the action franchise and noted that it’s something a bit different than your standard sequel or spinoff. Said Wiseman,

Audiences who have seen John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum have gotten an early look into the part of the canon world that will be further explored in Ballerina. In the 2019 movie, the titular Keanu Reeves character is looking for safe harbor as he is being hunted by every assassin on Earth, and he finds it in a theater with an old acquaintance known as The Director (Anjelica Huston). It’s during the sequence at this location that we learn of a program that simultaneously trains young women to be both dancers and killers – and it’s here that Ana de Armas’s Eve Macarro enters the picture.

The story in Ballerina essentially uses this sequence as a launching pad, and while it unfurls principally with Eve on a solo mission of personal vengeance, the plot also eventually sees her cross paths with the legendary Baba Yaga as he is gearing up for what audiences got to witness in 2023’s John Wick: Chapter 4. It’s a cool twist for fans who enjoying marathoning their favorite franchises in special watch orders.

Further solidifying it within the John Wick franchise, Ballerina not only features Keanu Reeves’ return as the world’s most dangerous assassin and Anjelica Huston reprising her role as The Director, but it also has Ian McShane back as Winston Scott and Lance Reddick delivering is final performance as Continental Hotel concierge Charon. Long in the works, Ballerina will be arriving in theaters everywhere on June 6.

When you see a gun firing in a movie, it is loaded with blanks. When you see a knife stabbing somebody, it’s either rubber or plastic. Flamethrowers, on the other hand, are a whole different deal. While some productions opt for CGI, the truth is that there is a big on-screen difference between real fire and fire that’s digitally created, and no genius has yet to invent fire that doesn’t hurt/burn. The blaze-spurting weapons are serious business, which is why I am in no way surprised that Ana de Armas had a very emotional reaction using one during the making of Ballerina.

As previewed in the trailers for the John Wick side-quel, there is an extended sequence in Ballerina where protagonist Eve Macarro straps on a flamethrower and goes on a mini rampage torching a bunch of dudes – and that’s basically what de Armas had to do on set. The people that she was setting on fire were trained and experienced stunt performers who were prepared for said torching with extreme safety at front of mind, but even just practicing for the scene left the star in tears. Speaking about using the extreme weapon during a long lead press day earlier this spring, director Len Wiseman told me,

Back in late March, I had the great pleasure of joining a small group of journalists for a special experience at 87Eleven headquarters in Los Angeles, and after a training session that saw us learn how to perform the moves in one of the key action sequences in Ballerina, I had the chance to speak with Wiseman about the process of making the film.

Having personal experience being on a set where a flamethrower was used, I asked about the tension that the dangerous weapon can create. Wiseman explained that it was definitely a freaky experience for Ana de Armas to purposefully set a person on fire, but once she got past her first taste of it, her mood changed:

If you’re excited to witness Ana de Armas setting a whole bunch of people on fire, the best news I can offer you is that Ballerina is almost here. Featuring an outstanding ensemble cast including Anjelica Huston, Ian McShane, Gabriel Byrne, Norman Reedus, the late Lance Reddick, and John Wick himself, Keanu Reeves, the new action film arrives in theaters everywhere on June 6.

I think most people who are casually familiar with Ballerina hitting the movie release schedule on June 6, 2025 are probably already John Wick fans. While we’ve known for a while Keanu Reeves would factor into the plot, I really couldn’t tell from Ballerina’s trailers if this movie would stack up with what we’ve seen from the franchise before. I can now only humbly apologize to Lionsgate and say that thought was probably out of line. At CinemaCon 2025 today during the studio's panel (which we covered live), audiences were treated to a scene of Ana De Armas literally breaking a slew of plates in another woman’s face.

The Ballerina Scene That Debuted At CinemaCon 2025 Was Wild (And Involved Plates)

In Ballerina Ana De Armas plays Eve, a woman looking for revenge. During the sequences we saw today – and spoilers on what will probably be one of the most spectacular action sequences in the movie (and if it’s not, holy smokes what are we in for?)-- a man shows up at a restaurant intent on killing and shooting Eve. They attempt to gun one another down in the restaurant, but both seemingly run out of ammo. Quick thinking Even starts grabbing glasses and launching them at the man trying to kill her.

Next, she jumps on his back and claws at his eyes (it’s visceral) before he shoves her off and throws her onto a table. She wraps her legs around his neck and he picks her up and slams her into the table over and over again. The sound effects are intense, but she manages to annihilate his hand and then finds her gun and kills him. People were very pleased by this sequence watching it in the theater. They reacted loudly, but it turned out there was more.

She unexpectedly encounters a woman in the kitchen who has a large knife in her hand and tries to tell her she’s safe, but it turns out the woman is also there to kill her. She throws a meat pulverizer at her head and a tray of plates falls over. The two women scramble to grab plates and slam each other in the face repetitively with the serving ware before Ana de Armas nabs a gun and shoves the kitchen worker into the walk-in fridge, securing the door with a frying pan before muttering, “What the fuck.”

Director Len Wiseman said this off-kilter sequence is exactly the world he wanted De Armas’ Eve to inhabit. He told the room full of exhibitors and journalists that he wants moments the audiences will never “expect.” He likes waiting for those little pockets where the audience is breathing and thinks everything is safe and then going for the jugular, which is exactly what we saw with the plate scene. Or as he put it:

It’s a strategy that seems like it’s going to work, too.

But It Didn’t Come Without A Ton Of Intensity From Ana De Armas

Ana De Armas was at CinemCon for the clip premiere, and spoke about the intense work she went through in order to play the character. First and foremost it was “winter in Prague” when the movie was filming and there was ice everywhere. They ended up putting spikes in her shoes in order to ground her for some of the movie’s outdoor sequences. However, this isn’t 1923; and the weather wasn’t the real challenge. Instead the stunts were. She told the crowd:

She also said during the panel she spent months doing these mad dash hours with the stunt team and then when she was done she’d ‘jump in a car’ and go to the shooting range and practice her form with that too. De Armas previously teased while filming “how much pain” she was in, and now that I’ve seen the scene I have, I totally get it. It sounds like she dug deep and used an inner mastery of pain to connect with the idea of being a ballerina.

She’d keep in mind “her own pain” from holding the guns and all the training, calling it “really good” to help her to get into the right mindset and embody the character in the film. All in all, the new footage really sucked me in in ways the early trailers hadn’t.

We still have a while to wait on Ballerina, but Lionsgate also released some cool chatter about the new Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping movie, as well as new information on another Stephen King film (The Long Walk). This was peppered in between Now You See Me sequel footage and some info about the remake of American Psycho. More on the slate to come.

The John Wick movies may, or may not be over and done, but what’s clear is that John Wick as a franchise, and as a universe in which to tell stories, is far from done. We’re about to get the premiere of The Continental on Peacock, and next year we’ll see Ana de Armas star in the John Wick spinoff movie Ballerina. Fans are certainly looking forward to this one, and director Len Wiseman recently provided update on its status.

Ballerina isn’t set to open until next summer, so it’s probably going to be some time before we actually get to see any of it, but Underworld franchise director Len Wiseman, who is helming Ballerina recently told EW that, he just finished his “director’s cut” of the movie, saying… 

This is certainly great news if you’re excited about Ballerina. If Len Wiseman has finished a director’s cut then there is at least a version of the movie that is essentially done and ready for release. It’s unclear if there’s already a plan to release a director’s cut version of the film or if this is just his edit that he has now submitted to the studio, which could see some additional changes before it's finalized, but it sounds like things are certainly moving forward.

Wiseman saying the movie is “on pause” does indicate, however, that there may still be a bit more work to do. A lot of movies are on pause right now due to the two strikes taking place simultaneously with both Hollywood writers and actors. While Ballerina’s main shoot is clearly done, if there are reshoots that need to be done, those are certainly on hold until these strikes are resolved.

With a release date of next summer, there’s still plenty of time for that to all be taken care of and still hit the date without a problem, even if there is still significant work that needs to be done. That puts Ballerina in a much better position than a lot of projects. Several high-profile projects had to stop filming in the middle of principal photography and their future remains unclear as both strikes remain ongoing. And even if one of them gets resolved, the other would still leave many movies in limbo.

Of course, the big question regarding John Wick and the movies is if there will be more of them, or if Keanu Reeves’ cameo in Ballerina will be the last we see of him. The John Wick: Chapter 4 ending gave the series a conclusion, though not one that can’t be escaped if everybody involved is willing to do so. A John Wick: Chapter 5 had been planned at one point, so seeing that movie eventually certainly isn’t impossible.  

If you're looking for a gentle reminder about the relentless passage of time and that you're getting a year closer to shedding mortal coils – here it is. This year, we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the beginning of the five-film Underworld franchise. The early 2000s horror movies brought us a leather-clad cast led by Kate Beckinsale in a timeless clash between vampires and werewolves and more bleach-blue color than you'd find on a millennial's tie-dyed t-shirt. And guess what? The movie's director has a hilarious response to a wild Twilight fan theory he's been fielding for years: Did Kristen Stewart and Twilight Saga inspire this cinematic gem?

In the early 2000s, the world of vampire-centric entertainment was ignited by these two wildly different major franchises–released within a few years of each other, exploring the supernatural world in vastly different ways. However, in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly as part of their 20-year retrospective on Underworld, Len Wiseman responded to the question of whether or not the Stephenie Meyer book-based creation shaped his film with his characteristic wit. He said:

Released in 2003, Underworld introduced audiences to the timeless war between vampires and lycans (werewolves). Beckinsale stars as the iconic Selene, a vampire warrior, immersing viewers in a world of intricate vampire politics, centuries-old vendettas, and pulse-pounding action sequences. With its dark, leather-clad aesthetic and intense battles, it quickly earned a reputation for being a visceral and mature take on the supernatural.

On the other hand, Twilight, which hit theaters in 2008, centered around the burgeoning love story between Bella Swan, played by Kristen Stewart, and the vampire Edward Cullen, portrayed by Robert Pattinson. The film's dreamy romance and young adult focus catapulted its stars to superstardom and attracted legions of fans, known as "Twihards." Its success led to a franchise that included four more films, each delving deeper into the supernatural aspects of the story while maintaining its central love story.

While the two series differ in many ways, both, at their core, involve the ongoing conflict between Lycans (werewolves) and vampires. There are unmistakable parallels, albeit with the Beckinsale-led flick maintaining an R-rated tone, particularly in their shared use of blue filters. Len Wiseman's amusing perspective is certainly worth a laugh, but it's understandable why fans might notice these similarities, considering how closely these franchises were released in proximity.

As we celebrate Underworld's 20th anniversary and hold The Twilight Saga close to our hearts, it's evident that these films have left a lasting mark on vampire and supernatural cinema. Wouldn't a Freddy vs. Jason-style crossover be incredible? Count me in. And if that's not in the cards, how about a crossover with the 2023 horror sensation The Blackening? Tim Story's comedy-horror cast is keen on exploring crossovers, and I'm all for it. And who knows, it may not be out of the question because, according to Wisemen, there are some plans behind the scenes to bring the franchises back. He continued: 

While we await more news regarding the trenched coat-wearing vampire’s return to the cinema, readers might be interested in checking out CinemaBlend’s schedule of 2023 movie releases to see what upcoming horror movies are heading to a theater near you.

The Disney/Fox deal has left plenty of questions on the table. One question that hasn't come up as often as, say, Will The X-Men Join The MCU? is What Will Happen With Die Hard 6? The movie got as far as a title, McClane, and early news that Bruce Willis would return, along with a new actor playing a younger John McClane.

The first five Die Hard movies were distributed by 20th Century Fox. Now Fox titles are owned by Disney. So when Die Hard 6 producer Lorenzo Di Bonaventura was asked if they had a start date yet for McClane, he added Disney to his answer:

"They" like the script -- that's a good sign, even if the specifics of "they" weren't discussed in his chat with /FILM. There's been a lot of talk about the script in the past year. Bruce Willis talked about checking out the script a year ago. Shortly after that, reports came out claiming The Conjuring writers Chad and Carey Hayes were hired to write the next Die Hard script.

In September, Lorenzo Di Bonaventura told Empire the movie's title would be McClane, saying "We want you to get invested in John McClane more than ever before." At the time, he confirmed McClane would bounce back and forth between older present day McClane, played by Bruce Willis, and a younger McClane to be cast in his 20s. The film was previously being eyed as Die Hard: Year One.

In late January, Film Stories UK talked to Lorenzo Di Bonaventura and he told the site McClane was still moving forward with Len Wiseman (Live Free or Die Hard) attached to direct. But as of March 20, 21st Century Fox is part of The Walt Disney Company. There's a lot to sort through in the transition, including layoffs and release date changes.

Hope is not lost for Die Hard 6/McClane, but it just seems to be in limbo, along with many other films. It was already in limbo as the script was developed. Based on Lorenzo Di Bonaventura's latest comments, it sounds like they've landed on a script they like, it's just a matter of who is now in charge of moving the project forward and deciding what stays and what goes. As he hinted, we may not know much about it for a while as The Powers That Be sift through the many Disney/Fox projects in development.

As we wait to see whether Mickey Mouse kills off John McClane or helps get him back on screen soon, keep up with what we do know is coming to theaters this year with our 2019 movie release date schedule.

The trend, nowadays, is for a long-running film franchise to go back in time, erase some of its legacy, and create a sequel to an older sequel, virtually ignoring anything that came before it. The Terminator series is trumpeting the fact that Tim Miller's upcoming sequel will only acknowledge the first two movies, bringing Linda Hamilton back to continue the story. Halloween is doing something similar, bringing Jamie Lee Curtis back for a new chapter. And then there is Die Hard, which is moving ahead on Die Hard: Year One... which will be a prequel AND a sequel in one. Bruce Willis will return, as will an actor tapped to play young John McClane. But director Len Wiseman says casting has just begun, explaining:

Die Hard: Year One will follow a storyline that addresses John McClane in the present day, as well as when he was a rookie beat cop in the 1970s. It's expected to be loosely based on a graphic novel by Howard Chaykin, which followed McClane during his first year on the force in New York City. But they haven't made a Die Hard movie without Bruce Willis yet, and Die Hard: Year One isn't going to break that mold.

Plot details of the movie are being kept under wraps for the moment, so we simply have to assume that Die Hard: Year One will be using flashbacks to John McClane's past (with the younger actor in the part) to fill in gaps on whatever dilemma McClane finds himself in this time. To date, McClane has stared down terrorist threats in L.A., NY, Washington, DC (twice) and Moscow. We're hoping this new movie will be more personal than the horrendous A Good Day to Die Hard. Truthfully, anything will be considered an improvement.

Len Wiseman knows a thing or two about Die Hard, having helmed the decent Live Free or Die Hard. So his comments to Deadline about having to search for the right casting strikes a chord, because he found a solid Lucy McClane in Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and he doesn't get the blame for miscasting Jai Courtney as Jack McClane. (Shudder) If the bulk of Die Hard: Year One is going to rest on the shoulders of whomever they cast as young John McClane, then they absolutely have to find someone who can lead us into the Bruce Willis that we met in John McTiernan's original movie. And I don't know if you have looked recently, but the landscape isn't exactly overflowing with charismatic action heroes who exhibit that type of cocky swagger.

Die Hard: Year One doesn't have a release date yet, but with a concept, director and star in Bruce Willis willing to move, I can guess they'll jump as soon as that Young McClane is acquired. Who would you cast?

Like it or not, it’s become clear that Die Hard 6, reportedly a prequel about a young John McClane titled Die Hard: Year One, is a movie that is going to happen. We’ve know that it will explore the origins of the everyman hero, but aside from that, specifics have been few and far between. Now director Len Wiseman revealed a few details and a larger idea of what the film may look like is forming.

Len Wiseman is currently on the trail stumping for his upcoming Fox series Lucifer, but when Collider caught up with him, they couldn’t resist firing off a couple Die Hard 6 questions. What he offered gives us a clearer timeline of when Die Hard: Year One will take place, and what the story will involve. He said:

When we first meet John McClane in 1988, he shows up with a lot of baggage. The New York cop is estranged from his wife, choosing to stay in the Big Apple to work a backlog of cases rather than accompany his wife and children to Los Angeles where she has an incredible career opportunity. Even when we see them together, there’s obviously a lot of history and a lot of issues to work through, though Die Hard never really gets into the nuts and bolts of their relationship.

Still, there’s also obvious affection between the husband and wife—it couldn’t have all been bad—and from what Len Wiseman says, we’ll get to see how that came to be. And I’m sure we’ll also get to see the beginnings of the renegade cowboy cop that John McClane becomes—it just wouldn’t be a Die Hard movie without some improvised heroics on his part. Let’s just hope they don’t go too over the top with it—that’s been one of the big complaints about the last few films in the franchise, that instead of an average Joe stuck in a terrible situation and rising to the occasion, the character has become almost an unkillable superhero.

And in case you’re worried that there won’t be much Bruce Willis in Die Hard: Year One, we recently learned that he’ll be around for more than just a cameo, and Len Wiseman reiterated that old John McClane will serve as more than just a frame for the origin story. They also want to cast a relative unknown as the younger version, which is going to run into the same problems that Lucasfilm has encountered trying to find a young Han Solo. Bruce Willis is so connected to this role that it will be difficult for fans to picture anyone else in the part.

A Die Hard movie without Bruce Willis is no longer a Die Hard movie. It’s as simple as that. So when it was teased recently that the sixth instalment to the action franchise would be Die Hard: Year One, a prequel focused on a younger John McClane, which would only have Bruce Willis involved to open and close the film, fans were understandably a little antsy. But now director Len Wiseman admitted that’s far from true, confirming that Bruce Willis will be more involved than that.

The filmmaker was promoting the new Fox show he's producing, Lucifer, when Slash Film caught up with him and asked about rumors that John McClane will only be in two scenes. He said:

Len Wiseman didn’t stop there talking about the possibilities for the John McClane origin story, admitting that he is really interested in the origins of the NYPD officer’s relationship with his wife Holly, played by Bonnie Bedelia in Die Hard and Die Harder but who has not been seen in any of the films since.

Does this mean that Bonnie Bedelia might make her return to the franchise in a possible sixth Die Hard film? It’s too early to tell, and Len Wiseman refused to provide an answer on the subject. All he did reveal is that the action of Die Hard 6 can’t be overly explosive and legendary, because people had never heard of John McClane before the Nakotomi hostage situation in Die Hard.

This should hopefully make Die Hard 6 much more grounded than the latter instalments, which have been roundly criticised for turning John McClane into a borderline superhero who is able to survive anything. This is far from the John McClane that everyone fell in love with in the original Die Hard.

At the moment we’re still none the wiser about how Len Wiseman is actually involved in Die Hard 6, or even a possible release date. All that we know is that Die Hard: Year One is currently in development over at 20th Century Fox, and that the decision has been made to try and make a prequel/sequel hybrid. It’s a tricky proposition, but one that, if it’s done right, could bring a new vitality to the series.

Len Wiseman was previously tasked with rejuvenating the Die Hard franchise back in 2007 with Live Free Or Die Hard, something that he actually managed to do rather well. Sure, it didn’t even match up to Die Hard: With A Vengeance, let alone come anywhere near the cinematic perfection that is Die Hard, but it was enjoyable none the less. It also was also umpteen times better than the cinematic abomination that followed after: A Good Day To Die Hard.

The Internet didn’t necessarily stand up and cheer when word got out that Len Wiseman was negotiating a deal to direct Die Hard 6, which might be called Die Hard: Year One. In fact, the opposite happened. Don’t worry though, fans, because Bruce Willis doesn’t sound all that enthused when asked about the pending sequel while attending a red carpet for Rock the Kasbah.

We’ll get to his energy levels in a minute. For now, let’s focus on what he said. Willis was asked by ET what he could tell them about Die Hard 6, and he slept through a response that included the following words:

This essentially confirms the rumor that Bruce Willis will play his older version of John McClane in this sixth Die Hard movie, with the action in his storyline flashing back to a younger McClane, who is a beat cop in New York City in the late 1970s. My source contacted me with info that’s still fluid, suggesting that the threat attacking Willis’ version of McClane will somehow be connected to an earlier case, and the grizzled veteran has to remember back to the old confrontation in order to survive his current, dire situation.

ET asked Bruce Willis who they thought should play a younger version of his classic action hero character, and he admitted:

Cute. But listen to Bruce Willis in the clip. He barely registers a blip of excitement when talking about this potential movie, Die Hard 6. And when you couple that reality with the fact that he barely pretended to want to be any part of A Good Day to Die Hard, it has me wondering why anyone thinks this is a good idea? Click here to hear Willis speaking with ET.

With Bruce Willis officially commenting on Die Hard 6, it seems that Len Wiseman’s production is a lot closer to reality. The sequel will try and revive the character of John McClane, who survived a Moscow mission but was savaged by critics and largely ignored by audiences. We’ll continue to track the progress of Die Hard 6, whether you want us to or not. 

We’ve now had a few hours to process the news that Live Free or Die Hard director Len Wiseman plans to do Die Hard 6, which will be a "sort of" prequel that somehow will still find room for Bruce Willis to play John McClane – before, I assume, handing the reigns over to a younger actor set to play McClane in the late 1970s. Have fans warmed up to the idea? Let’s scan Twitter and take the temperature of the room as it pertains to Die Hard 6.

OK, then. Twitter did as Twitter does, giving fans 140 characters to express either their support or their disdain for the idea of a Die Hard prequel. As you might imagine, most of the reactions to a sixth Die Hard were swift, merciless and adamant:

In case that wasn’t clear enough:

And others expressed more of a shock, an outrage, and an anger that Len Wiseman was trying to personally hurt them with this announcement. Like this person:

While finally, this guy thinks Die Hard 6 is such a bad idea, he had to write the word "barf" twice. In case it wasn’t clear enough the first time.

Some of this is just the Internet being snarky. Some of it truly is the bad taste left in the mouths of fans who endured A Good Day to Die Hard -- a truly wretched sequel that forgot everything good about the series (and everything redeeming about the character of John McClane). After the release of Good Day, I argued on this site that a sixth Die Hard was necessary just to redeem the image of McClane, so he could finally ride off into the sunset properly. A prequel does not give him that right, and that would be sad. We’ll continue to track Die Hard 6 developments. For now, what are your thoughts on this news?

When word came out last September that Total Recall remake director Len Wiseman was attached to helm the in-development Mummy reboot in development at Universal Pictures, it was assumed that it was going to be his next project. Apparently that's not the case, however, as The Wrap is now reporting that scheduling conflicts have caused the filmmaker to back out of the film.

While one would think that a setback like this would cause a few delays in a project's development, apparently that's not the case here. Universal has the movie on the fast track now and producers Sean Daniels, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci are already on the hunt for a new filmmaker to take over the project. Previous reports have said that the studio wants to have the film ready to for a release date some time during the summer of 2014, and if that's still the timetable they want to stick to then they'll have to find a replacement director quickly and get cameras rolling.

The project has been seen as Universal hitting the restart button on The Mummy trilogy that starred Brendan Fraiser and produced three fairly successful box office hits (grossing nearly $460 million domestically all together), but apparently the film will be going a much different route than the last three movies did. In an interview late last year Wiseman said that the new film would be a "modern-day take" and would be more of a horror movie. The Wrap adds that "though The Mummy character is a monster, the reboot is expected to provide him with a human personality."

The most recent update on the project before this one came all the way back in February when we learned that Hunger Games screenwriter Billy Ray was working on a new version of the script while Prometheus scribe Jon Spaihts reworked his already existing draft. Going by the newest report, it would seem that Universal will continue working with Spaiht's version (though it's worth nothing that The Wrap doesn't mention Ray anywhere in their article).

So what is Wiseman doing that is keeping him too busy to work on The Mummy? It's actually hard to say. He doesn't seem to have any film projects lined up and ready to go immediately, though he is serving as an executive producer on the new series Sleepy Hollow with Kurtzman and Orci. He directed the pilot of the show, but considering the episode is done - and premiered at San Diego Comic-Con - it's hard to say what it is that Wiseman will be doing instead of venturing into the bizarre horror/family adventure genre. Perhaps he's working on a secret project that hasn't been announced yet?

Only a little more than a month after the release of his version of Total Recall, Len Wiseman is getting ready to get back into the reboot/remake game. The filmmaker is reportedly now in talks with Universal Pictures to direct The Mummy, the studio's attempt to restart the massively successful adventure franchise that began in 1999. The movie is being produced by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci through their K/O Paper Products banner and Jon Spaihts, who is best known for his work on Ridley Scott's Prometheus and Chris Gorak's The Darkest Hour, is writing the script.

While it looks like no official deal is in place just yet, Deadline recently spoke with the Kurtzman about the director potentially handling the project and lauded his ability to create mythology. "I remember seeing Underworld and finding it a beautiful advancement of the genre," Kurtzman told the site. "It was presented in this fresh, incredibly cool concept, but it never gave up its reverence for the mythology and that is what inspired us to meet with Len." The producers have actually worked with Wiseman before, as the director helmed the pilot episode of the duo's Hawaii Five-O series, which premiered in 2010, and they are also working with him on their upcoming Sleepy Hollow show for Fox.

As for the approach to the material that Kurtzman and Orci are taking, apparently they are still going for audiences of all ages and gender, but they do plan on making the tone a bit darker. "We’re reaching into the deep roots of The Mummy, which at its beating heart is a horror movie and then an action movie, and putting it into a context that is real and emotional," Kurtzman said. "Without saying too much, we’ve drawn a lot of inspiration from Michael Crichton’s books, and how he ground fantastical sales in modern day science."

As for Wiseman, he told the site that what interests him about the project is that at his most basic the Mummy is still a man. "They haven’t turned his brain into a monster brain," the director said. "He still has a personality and is very cunning and calculating. He’s a true character in any form, and in creature form, even if he is that staggering creature, it becomes more important that he’s a thinking, calculating person."

The project is currently looking at a potentially summer 2014 release date, meaning that it will likely go into production next year.

Thanks to the science-fiction genre, audiences have seen hundreds if not thousands of versions of our possible future. From utopias to dystopias, chrome-covered wonderlands to deserted wastelands, filmmakers have spent years giving us new ideas about what things will be like hundreds of years from now. So how did director Len Wiseman create his future vision for Total Recall?

This past weekend I was granted the opportunity to speak with the filmmaker about his latest movie and was lucky enough to get our conversation on video. Check out the interview below in which Wiseman talks not just about crafting his vision of the future, but also what it was like working with his wife, Kate Beckinsale, as the villain this time around, the preference of the practical over the digital, and the film’s strange missing cameo.

To read more about Total Recall, and read our own Katey Rich’s review, head over to our Blend Film Database.

When I was on the set of Len Wiseman's Total Recall last summer, the coolest thing that I got to see was the massive set called the China Fall. In the film, the world has been split into two nationstates, New Asia to the United Federation of Britain, that exist on opposite sides of the planet. The China Fall is used as a transport that gets people from one side to the other, traveling through the middle of the Earth and flipping in the middle to adjust for gravitational polarity. It was an amazing thing to see in person, but now you can get a look at it as well in the brand new Total Recall trailer.

The preview will likely be attached to next week's release of The Amazing Spider-Man (both films are made by Columbia Pictures), but before it's available on the big screen you can now watch it online. Check it out below, courtesy of Yahoo!

And in case you were wondering, yes, that is a three-boobed prostitute. Hooray for callbacks!

Based on the short story "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale" by Philip K. Dick, the movie centers on a man named Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell), who is constantly looking for more from life. He then discovers a company called Rekall that specializes in implanting memories. When something goes wrong during the process, however, Quaid discovers that he is actually a spy that has had his memory erased and the life he's been living is a total lie...or is it? Total Recall co-stars Jessica Biel, Bryan Cranston, Kate Beckinsale, Bill Nighy, John Cho and Ethan Hawke and will be released on August 3rd. To see more from the movie, head over to our Blend Film Database.

Where would we be without science-fiction? It’s a genre where reality takes a backseat to imagination and brilliant minds are allowed to shine with dreams of new worlds and the future. Throughout history people have told stories of alternate worlds where society has been changed or the human condition transformed so that we can learn something about our own ways from a new perspective. But it’s one thing to watch science-fiction unfold on a screen or on the page and another to walk inside of it, and last summer I got to do just that as a group of journalists including myself traveled to Toronto, Canada to visit the set of director Len Wiseman’s Total Recall.

Based on Philip K Dick’s short story "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale" and the 1990 film directed by Paul Verhoeven, Total Recall is about a man named Doug Quaid (Colin Farrell) who lives in a society that has been split into two giant nation states: New Asia to the United Federation of Britain. Feeling an emptiness in his life, he discovers place called Recall that implants memory vacations, Quaid signs up, but things go very wrong when it’s revealed that our hero is actually a spy who has had the memories of his past life suppressed. He then suddenly finds himself on the run not only from the government, represented at its head by the evil Vilos Cohaagen (Bryan Cranston), but also his wife, Lori (Kate Beckinsale), who has been undercover for the entire length of their relationship. Figuring out his true identity he finds himself teaming up with a rebel named Melina (Jessica Biel) and the two work to bring the entire system down.

What was most striking walking around the various stages of Pinewood Toronto Studios was the surprising ratio of practical sets versus green screen. From a giant helicopter pad with different levels and incredible detail, to the rough streets of New Asia, Wiseman and his crew have worked hard to incorporate as much real as they could to the film, which in the long should not only should help create a more grounded science-fiction experience, but also helps the movie’s actors better associate themselves with the world they have to imagine they inhabit.

"It does so much of the work for us," Farrell said about the sets. "I mean, with all of the green screen that is prevalent in the studios. If you have a look around, I am not feeling like I am stuck on this kind of inhuman island where I have to communicate with an idea, which is good because I have actors around me and stuff. But the actual space we are shooting in; the practical sets are really fucking magnificent."

One specific way of doing this was to build sets that could be used multiple times. During a tour with production designer Patrick Tatopoulos we visited featured a Red Light District city block of New Asia – which was beautifully dingy, rainy, and grungy– but the set-up wasn’t invented for just one specific action sequence or dramatic moment. Over the course of filming they were able to use the New Asia set multiple times by simply turning around and shooting from different angles and opposing directions. Helping them do it was the extreme detail of the production design, bringing the entire area to life. Wires stuck out of walls, pipes traced around corners, and bits of Arabic and Indian writing could be picked up on the acid rain-burnt signs hanging from the shops. Small as it was, though, the one set-up was used for five different major scenes throughout the movie.

In the discussion of practical designs on the Total Recall set, however, everything pales in comparison to the China Fall. Set up in the middle of Earth, the China Fall is a magnetized elevator that travels from one end of the world to the other, from New Asia to the United Federation of Britain in 15 to 20 minutes. Between takes we were brought up to the set, which was much more than just a compartment with chairs for characters to strap into. Instead everything was fleshed out with the greatest of details, with clean, white hallways and corridors leading from one area to the next, waiting stations between elevator pods, and a gimbal for the camera that was set up to imitate the experience of the China Fall changing gravitational polarity at the center of the Earth.

"We’re going to need more space in the future, how do you compress it?" said Tatopoulos. “Well, you travel with magnets. How do you go from one world system to the other? We created a magnetized elevator as well, it’s part of the action scene. We all talked to futurists, just to get a sense of what the world would be tomorrow. So, to a certain extent, we have to listen to this guy, but we’re going to have to come up with some ideas. It’s a good sign that we all look into the same place; it means that some things will start shaping up for the future."

The China Fall also happened to be the location of the scenes we watched the production film. The first setup featured Farrell coming on to the set looking all kinds of beat-to-hell, taking out two guards, and rescuing Biel. The two then share an emotional moment that was highlighted by a take where Farrell wiped a tear away from Biel’s face and then kissed the spot where it was.

"We talk about it all the time,” Biel said when we talked to her after the scene. "It’s these little pockets of real passion, emotion, and connection in the midst of a big, huge, wild journey where we are running for our lives all of the time. Firing those big weapons are such bits of just deliciousness. It is a pleasure."

Whereas the first scene we watched them shoot featured the forces of good, the second was more focused on the antagonists. Set just after the first sequence we saw them film, the second scene began with Beckinsale’s Lori and a group of armed guards entering the same China Fall pod where Farrell and Biel were, only the two protagonists have apparently climbed out the window of the in-motion transportation vessel. Speaking to the evil Cohaagen through a phone that is implanted in her palm, Beckinsale says that she is going to go after Farrell and Biel, but is told to stop. She then turns around disappointed and sends the guards out after Quaid and Melina.

"Obviously she’s the brains and I’m the beauty," Cranston said in an interview before the scene. "I love it. When I first heard that Kate and Jessica [Biel] were in it, for some reason I thought they would do the other role. I don’t know why. Then I realized, oh that’s interesting. It’s so delicious and I know Kate is having a great time, as am I to play the bad guy. They’re always the best written roles, I’m telling you it’s so much fun."

But what does it all mean? The story of Total Recall, of course, has always left audiences wondering about the line that stands between truth and fiction – a question that Wiseman and writers Kurt Wimmer and Mark Bomback have tried to maintain in the new film – but what is the greater comment about our world today. According to producer Toby Jaffe, the fact that the movie doesn’t travel to Mars allows the new film to be more grounded and as such better reflect the class warfare angle of the story.

"We’re dealing with a more relatable class issue of haves and have nots, workers and the wealthy class," Jaffe said. "And that’s the kind of dynamic that we’re into. Classic working class people against the wealthy who control the real estate, and want to control the real estate of the planet."

If you think that’s all we got from the set of Total Recall you are mistaken. Keep checking back here on Cinema Blend throughout the week for more from our time visiting the set of the upcoming film, including interviews with the film’s stars and filmmakers. In the meantime, check out the gallery of new images below and head over to our Blend Film Database to see more from the movie.

Sure, we willingly buy into the hype around trailers all the time, and even if you don't want to spoil yourself, it's hard not to get excited about the first glimpse at this or that movie. But there's something distinctly perverse about trailers for a trailer, whether releasing brief clips from an upcoming advertising spot (I'm looking at you, Hunger Games), or in the case of this new teaser for Total Recall, actually cutting together an entire trailer… for the trailer. I promise it's a lot less confusing once you see it, so just take a look below.

Then again, it's far from determined how this movie will turn out, and we've got a whole new trailer coming on Sunday to help sway our opinions even further. We'll have the trailer to you as soon as it premieres online, and maybe then we can finally decide for ourselves if this second visit to the Total Recall world is worth our time. The movie comes to theaters August 3.

We aren't in the dark about the remake of Total Recall to the same degree as we are for, say, The Dark Knight Rises. As the project has moved through production, we've picked up various details about director Len Wiseman's approach to the material, be it the fact that the story won't be returning to Mars, that the world has been split into two nationstates, and it will star the likes of Colin Farrell, Bryan Cranston, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel, John Cho and Bill Nighy. There are, however, still some gaps in our knowledge about the movie, and while we won't be discovering all of those secrets until it comes out this summer, Sony has released the official plot synopsis.

As we expected, the movie will differ greatly from Paul Verhoven's 1990 flick, but it will keep us guessing about what is reality and what is just a dream. Check out the plot description below.

I actually really love a solid plot synopsis. Unlike a trailer, which will show you footage from almost the entire movie, what you read above is nothing but need to know information. In the case of Total Recall, the movie isn't due out until August, so it may still be some time before we get to see more. In the meantime, if you wish to know more about the remake, be sure to head over to our Blend Film Database.

Earlier this year when casting for Len Wiseman's Total Recall remake was coming together, I made a joke hoping that the production would find a way to squeeze in the infamous three-boob lady from the Paul Verhoeven original. I say it was a joke because the reimagining doesn't take place on Mars - where you can design characters to look like anything - but rather on a futuristic Earth where the world has been split into two warring nation states. I never expected that there would be a three-boob lady in the new film, but apparently I should have been dreaming bigger.

Speaking to Collider at San Diego Comic Con, Wiseman confirmed that there will indeed be a three-boobed woman in the new adaptation of Philip K. Dick's We Can Remember It For You Wholesale. In the Verhoeven movie, the three-breasted woman is a prostitute who propositions Douglas Quaid (Arnold Schwarzenegger) while he is looking for Melina (Rachel Ticotin). The context of how the character will fit into the story (and why she has is three boobs) is unknown. For those that have no idea what the hell I'm talking about, check out the clip below:

Going further, Wiseman also confirmed the film's rating, which will be PG-13. This runs in sharp contrast to Verhoeven's film, which was actually given an X by the MPAA. According to the director, the way they've been shooting has been to let the action play out as it should, and then when it goes to the ratings board they will edit out what doesn't fly and put it back in for an unrated home release, or "other cut."

While I feel like some people are going to be up-in-arms about the rating, I'm not entirely sure how consequential it's going to be. If they were remaking Verhoeven's film beat-by-beat it would be one thing, but this is a movie that takes an original idea and radically changes it. If brutal fight sequences end without either player shedding a drop of blood I think it's okay to complain, but we're at a point where I don't think that judgement can be made.

With Len Wiseman's remake of Total Recall gearing up to start production early next month, casting news has been arriving in bunches. Yesterday alone it was confirmed that Jessica Biel and Kate Beckinsale have joined the film as the two principal female characters while Bill Nighy will be playing Quatto, the resistance leader. But just like in the Paul Verhoven film, however, somebody has to mess with Douglas Quaid's (Colin Farrell) brain and convince him that he's a spy, right? Enter today's news.

According to EW, John Cho has officially joined the cast of Total Recall. Taking over the part played by Ray Baker in the 1990 film, the actor will play McClane, a "smooth-talking rep" who works for the company that implants memories (the article doesn't mention if the company is still called Rekall). No longer set on Mars, the new film will be set in the future where the world has been divided into two nationstates: Euromerica and New Shanghai. Also in the cast is Bryan Cranston, who will play an villainous dictator named Cohaagen.

I actually really like this casting. It's a small role, but Cho can really turn on the charm when he wants to and have a touch of slimeball (I keep thinking about the episode of How I Met Your Mother in which he guest starred as a smiling-yet-evil corporate executive). I guess he needs something to do while he waits to play Mr. Sulu again.

Because the movie will no longer be set on Mars, some things about Len Wiseman's remake of Total Recall will have to change. Obviously the evil Cohaagen, who is set to be played by Bryan Cranston, likely won't be depriving his citizens of air, but the bigger change will have to be in terms of character design. Take, for example, Kuato: chances are he won't be portrayed as a mutant baby growing out of Marshall Bell's chest. In fact, we now know for a fact that the character won't be designed like that because Bill Nighy has just taken the role.

According to THR, Nighy will be teaming with Wiseman for the first time outside of the Underworld franchise and will play the rebel leader (whose name is now spelled "Quatto.") The news comes just a little while after it was announced that both Jessica Biel and Kate Beckinsale have officially signed on as well. In the new film, Colin Farrell stars as Douglas Quaid, a factory worker living in a future where the world has been divided into two nationstates: Euromerica and New Shanghai. Quaid then discovers that he may actually be a spy, but doesn't know which team he is actually fighting for.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to spend the rest of the day imagining what Bill Nighy will sound like whispering "start the reactor."

Filling Arnold Schwarzenegger's shoes in any capacity is difficult, but it's even harder when you're about to portray one of his most iconic roles. A few months back it was announced that Colin Farrell had been cast in the lead of Len Wiseman's remake of Total Recall. Fans immediately began spitting fire on the project, saying that nobody could beat the 1990 Paul Verhoven-directed version. Initially Farrell himself was part of that crowd.

Earlier today I had the opportunity to sit in with Farrell as part of a roundtable interview and brought up the subject of the Total Recall remake, which is set to start up production in a few weeks. I started by asking about his relationship, which he quickly professed his love for.

It wasn't only the script that heightened Farrell's interest in the project. Meeting with Wiseman to discuss the film, the actor was introduced to some of the concept art , which apparently blew him away. He did, however, mention that a project doesn't always end up the way that it starts.

Further debunking rumors that the story is closer to the original Philip K. Dick short story "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale," Farrell was adamant that there's plenty more to explore with the characters and the world.

After suffering from over exposure, and reinventing himself with 2008's In Bruge, my faith in Colin Farrell's work has skyrocketed through the roof. While the Verhoven-Schwarzenegger is certainly an awesome movie, there is indeed quite a bit that can be done with the concept and it seems that they are taking advantage of that.

Last week, a list of actresses vying for the one of the two female leads in the Len Wiseman-directed remake of Total Recall emerged. Today it seems as though a frontrunner has emerged.

Variety reports that Sony has offered Jessica Biel one of the two lead female roles in the project, though negotiations are not yet underway. Biel would either play Lori, Douglas Quaid's (Colin Farrell) wife who ends up being a spy who tries to kill him, or Melina, a resistance fighter who helps Quaid take down an evil politician named Cohaagen (Bryan Cranston).

While Biel is certainly quite beautiful, she has yet to really prove herself as a capable actress. I really hope that either talks fall through or she ends up playing Lori instead of Melina. This is a clear cut case of less is more.

Considering that Len Wiseman's Total Recall is set to start filming in May, the good folks behind the project may want to do something about casting. Guaranteed to be a high profile project - and one with a lot of components - Colin Farrell is the only name currently attached. Though we know that the story will be changed a bit from the 1990 Paul Verhoven version, going by the first film they still need to find actors to play the villainous Cohaagen and Richter, Benny, and George/Kuato, but it looks like they are starting with the women.

Deadline has received a list of actresses vying for the two lead female roles in the film. First there is Lori, played by Sharon Stone in the Verhoven flick, who is Quaid's wife who actually ends up trying to kill him. According to the site, both Kate Bosworth and Diane Kruger are being brought in to test for the role this week. As for the Melina, Quaid's ally and former lover who helps him free the people of Mars, Eva Mendes and Paula Patton are both reading for the part, though Jessica Biel and Eva Green are also possible options (Mendes is being considered for the part of Lori as well).

Not a bad list of actresses if you ask me (though I will admit some options are better than others). I've mentioned before that I am at least slightly curious how they will approach the story, and it appears that they are going at it with the best cast they can get. We'll be sure to report as we get more information.

Whether you're ready for it or not, the Total Recall remake is still happening, with a lead actor and a start date finally set. Talking to Collider producer Neal Moritz confirmed that Colin Farrell will be starring in the remake (last we heard back in November he was still mulling it over), and that director Len Wiseman will start shooting the film in Toronto on May 15. Oh, and it won't be in 3D. That's at least one part you can celebrate openly.

The remake, which Moritz described as "a big movie," is well into early development, and Moritz gushed to Collider over the designs he's seen from director Wiseman:

In the original Total Recall, based on Philip K. Dick's story "We Can Remember It For You Wholsesale," Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a construction worker who was actually a freedom fighter relocated from his Mars home to Earth, where his memory was erased in order to subdue him. Moritz says that the new film won't venture into space, where a large segment of the first film took place, and that it will be based more closely on the original story, so it might be possible not to think of Arnold while watching Farrell fight for space freedom.

This past summer, nobody knew what to expect from Adrien Brody in Predators. An Oscar winner better known for his work in drama, Brody was suddenly stepping into the shoes of the greatest action star of all time: Arnold Schwarzenegger. The most bizarre part? Silly gruff voice aside, he actually made it work. Suddenly the beanpole star of The Piano was caked in mud and hunting Predators and was damn convincing doing it. It could very well be because of Adrien Brody that Colin Farrell gets cast in the Total Recall remake.

THR reports that Farrell is now the front-runner to star in the film that was first announced last February. Other names on the list include Inglorious Basterds' Michael Fassbender and Inception's Tom Hardy (though Hardy will likely be too busy with Batman next spring). No official offers have been sent out to the actors yet, but it is known that Len Wiseman (Live Free or Die Hard) will direct based on a script by Kurt Wimmer (Salt). Based on the story "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale" by Philip K. Dick, Farrell would play a man haunted by a recurring dream and purchases an implanted memory that winds up making him believe that he is a secret agent that must overthrow a despot on Mars.

While this is a remake that certainly should never be made, they could certainly do a lot worse than Colin Farrell. Since reinventing his career and taking on more indie roles, the actor has shown how much talent he truly has, particularly with his role in the dark comedy In Bruges. That said, if he can't say "Give those people air!" in an authentic Austrian accent, I must say no thanks.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Underworld fans are going to have to wait even longer before they get to feast their eyes on a fully latexed Kate Beckinsale again. Underworld 4 has been cranking through development for quite some time now with Len Wiseman back at the helm, but even so Sony’s Screen Gems arm has decided to push release back from September 23, 2011 to January 20, 2012. They don’t cite a reason according to ComingSoon, but presumably they’re buying extra time to really hone the story. Screenwriter John Hlavin had this to say:

The fourquel will be filmed in 3D but that should come as no surprise. But despite the feeling that Kate Beckinsale is coming out of the screen, she’s still never going to touch you.

Sony also announced that they’ve set a release date for Roland Emmerich’s next film, Anonymous at March 25, 2011. Prepare yourself...the film is NOT a tale of survival set against some sort of global apocalypse. It’s actually a political thriller about who really wrote the plays of William Shakespeare, but I’m sure the world will crumble under someone's feet at one point or another.

Video game fans will be happy to hear that the big screen adaptation of Xbox 360 game Gears of War is moving along nicely. Recently the gang over at Making Of sat down with producer Wyck Godfrey for 51 seconds of updates about what we can expect from the over-the-shoulder shooter turned guaranteed box office smash.

The awesomely named producer drops the name Len Wiseman, who will probably be stepping into the director's chair. Wiseman is the mastermind behind the Underworld franchise, and director of the latest outing of everyone's favorite foul-mouthed NYPD cop John McClane, Live Free or Die Hard. Regardless of how you feel about any of those movies, Wiseman seems to have a pretty good eye for action, which let's face it, is the ONLY requirement needed to put together a decent Gears of War film.

Godfrey also said that diving right into the blood, guts, and ugly-ass aliens is not the right move. Instead of starting with the gory battles fronted by Marcus Fenix, it sounds like they're going to be focusing the story down to the emergence day, which basically equates to the day that Earth gets surprise raped by hordes of Locust scum. While that's not exactly what the games focus on, strategically this is a good call. Spending time developing some characters never hurt a movie. There's plenty of room for sequels that can be nothing but wasteful action, but for now, setting up a story is exactly the way to start.

Gears of War is still slated for next year, but I don't foresee them getting through principal photography and the effects-heavy post production before 2011. We'll be keeping you updated.

Roland Emmerich seems to be trying to end apocalypse movies once and for all with 2012, in which he thoroughly destroys the world so badly that even the Himalayas get flooded. But 2009 has obviously been a banner year for depictions of our own demise, and that train isn't going to stop just because Emmerich says so. THR is reporting that Live Free or DIe Hard director Len Wiseman will next tackle mass destruction, directing an untitled pitch about survivors of the apocalypse who try to figure out just how they got there.

It doesn't sound all that unlike the 2012 TV sequel Emmerich has been talking up, but then again, when it comes to apocalypse stories, either everyone dies or some people survive and figure out what happens next. We have no more details on what Wiseman plans for this particular version of our demise, but if he he brings in the Lycans from the latest Underworld movie he directed, we are officially uninterested.

The Gears of War movie is still a long ways away but it's never too early to start talking sequel. According to director Len Wiseman, the upcoming movie is merely the first installment in a planned trilogy.

Speaking with Bloody-Disgusting, Wiseman admitted that he first became interested in Gears of War when he was directing Live Free or Die Hard. "I had to choose some video game for the background in a scene with Kevin Smith. I was shown about a dozen games and told to 'Choose one to be in the background' and I said 'this one looks really, really cool whatever it is,' and it was Gears Of War. I just really connected with it; the design of it the world, the whole thing. So I actually brought an Xbox 360 to start researching what it was."

He didn't go too far into detail about the GoW movie but he did say he wants it to be more of an action film than a horror film and that it could lead to two sequels. "[We want to do] three movies and really cover the bases on everything. Basically a harder edged Lord Of The Rings."

"Harder edged Lord of the Rings", eh? I wonder...

Sam and Frodo walk along a perilous cliffside road. A savage orc army prepares for war in the valley below. Sam peers over the edge of the cliff.

SAM: Boy, Mr. Frodo, there's a shitload of orcs down there!

FRODO: More like ten shitloads!

Frodo pats his elven assault rifle reassuringly and the two continue walking.