Los Angeles Aug 5 (Reuters) - The years haven't been kind to
Douglas Hauser, the secret agent character played by both Arnold
Schwarzenegger and Colin Farrell in versions of the futuristic
action film "Total Recall" released 22 years apart.
The release of the modern-day version of the film on Aug. 3
by Sony Pictures Entertainment, scarcely outsold the
1990 version that featured Schwarzenegger and Sharon Stone,
despite playing in 1,500 more theaters and at a time when ticket
prices are higher.
The rebooted version, which stars Farrell as a dispirited
worker who has lost his memory of being a secret agent,
generated $26 million this weekend at the U.S. and Canadian box
offices, according to Hollywod.com's box office division.
The 1990 version grossed $25.5 million in ticket sales and
played on 2,060 screens. The new version is playing on 3,601
screens.
"Sometimes the perceived demand for re-boots of well known
titles is overestimated," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of
Hollywood.com's box office division.
The tragedy surrounding Warner Brothers' "The Dark
Knight Rises" may also have affected the box office take for
"Total Recall," figures Dergaraberian, as some may have stayed
away during its first two weeks in theaters for fear of a repeat
of the shootings during a midnight showing of the new Batman
film in Aurora, Colorado.
The Batman film nevertheless grossed $36.4 million in its
third weekend to lead the weekend's box office race, with "Total
Recall" second.
"Total Recall" was also released during a weekend of heavy
viewing of the Olympic games on NBC.
Whatever the reasons, Sony Pictures Entertainment spent an
estimated $138 million for the rebooted version of the movie,
which also stars Jessica Biel and Kate Beckinsale, according to
the movie web site IMDB.
That's about half what it cost to make "The Dark Knight
Rises" but also about half the $65 million it cost the now
defunct Carolco Pictures to make the original "Total Recall,"
which was distributed by Sony. That film went on to gross $119.4
million.
Studios usually spend more than $100 million to market large
budget films.
Sony would not comment about comparisons with the earlier
version but stressed in a statement to reporters that the take
for the new "Total Recall" was "in line with tracking and
industry expectations."
"The film opened #1 in a select number of countries where
Total Recall debuted this weekend, including India, Malaysia,
Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand," Sony spokesman Steve Elzer said
in the statement, adding that the movie would begin rolling out
in larger countries in coming weeks.
"It's always been a world play, and it's tracking very
well," in markets like western Europe, Latin America and Asia,
said Rory Bruer, Sony's president of worldwide distribution.
"I think we're going to be very pleased with the results,"
Bruer said.