Total Recall, released in 1990, saw immense success due to its rich genealogy from a short story by Philip K. Dick to a screenplay by Dan O'Bannon and Ron Schusette. The process of development hell was exemplified in this project, where initial excitement and investment can lead to extensive revisions and reconceptualization by various parties, potentially leaving the original creator feeling detached from the final product.
Gary Goldman was a writer on “Total Recall”, a Philip K. Dick adaptation directed by Paul Verhoeven and starring Arnold Schwarzeneger. It was a big hit. So why do Gary and his writing partner, Angus Fletcher, have so much trouble selling another Philip K. Dick adaptation? They tell Malcolm that it all came down to a roller coaster ride of plot twists that even A-List action actors couldn’t stomach, and an early attempt at AI that was too dumb to pick a smart script.
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