Kate Beckinsale may look the part of a proper British lady, but she lets it rip in the reboot of "Total Recall" as Lori Quaid, a government agent whose sole objective is to kill her husband Douglas Quaid (played by Colin Farrell).
TheWrap talked to the stars of "Total Recall" on the red carpet at the film's Los Angeles premiere at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on Wednesday night, where Beckinsale called the remake of the 1990 Arnold Schwarzenegger actioner — which opens Friday — "a nice, two-hour break from life."
As for whether she wanted to kill her own real-life husband, director Len Wiseman, while making the movie, Beckinsale was ready with a wisecrack:
"Total Recall" will join other big-screen adaptations of novelist Philip K. Dick's work — "Minority Report" and "Blade Runner" figuring prominently among them — as a film set in a dystopian future that explores themes of conspiracy, freedom and the fall of mankind.
Also read: Comic-Con 2012: Kate Beckinsale Just Furious at Colin Farrell in 'Total Recall' Reboot
So, what keeps Hollywood coming back for more Dick adaptations?
"Philip Dick was just a master of imagination, really applying his imagination to a practical world, set in the future," said Farrell, who also starred in "Minority Report."
(Story continues after the video)
Ronald Shusett, who co-wrote the screenplay, also sang the author's praises, "He combines equal parts complex, intellectual but with enough nonstop action."
As with any remake, people are wondering how this film will compare to the original.
Jessica Biel said, "You can't expect to please everybody, and you know there will be some people who are not into the remake that you're doing, and that's OK, but you do the best you can."