The evolution of filmmaking spanning the past 50 years has been drastic. An actress as accomplished as Scarlett Johansson would obviously be aware of those changes while picking out potential scripts and sniffing out critical hits. And among all the actors whose films would be worthy of being rebooted or remade, there couldnʼt be a more affluent actor than Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Vs Colin Farrell – Total Recall
Movie stars of the late 20th century walked so the ones in the early 21st century could run. But for Arnold Schwarzenegger and Scarlett Johansson, their overlapping fate almost made it difficult to separate right from wrong. For Schwarzenegger, the movie that added a notch to his belt and was right for his time went wrong when adapted for a remake in Johanssonʼs career arc as a rising star.
However, the 2012 reboot starring Colin Farrell, Jessica Biel, Bryan Cranston, and Kate Beckinsale was not only weak in its foundation but failed to bring alive the charm of the ʼ90s film. Moreover, the lack of originality in the remake made it a lazy attempt at mimicking Schwarzeneggerʼs box-office success. As such, the actor, in a 2020 GQ interview, was right in mocking Farrellʼs remake saying:
“They tried to copy it. Someone tried to do a remake of it. How stupid is that? I mean, Jesus!”
Avengers Saved Scarlett Johansson From a Horrible Fate
However, fates weaved their yarn when Emily Blunt – the studioʼs first choice – turned it down and the role landed in the waiting hands of Scarlett Johansson. In the 11 years that followed since her debut in Robert Downey Jr.ʼs Iron Man 2, the actress immortalized Natasha Romanoff until her very last appearance in the aptly titled solo feature Black Widow (2021).
Total Recall (1990) is available for streaming on MGM+ and Paramount+ while the Colin Farrell remake is available for streaming on Netflix.