Written by new-contact on Sep 26, 2011. Posted in On Location

Colin Farrell and Jessica Biel wrap Total Recall location filming in Toronto

The remake of Schwarzenegger sci-fi classic Total Recall has wrapped in Toronto with stars Colin Farrell and Jessica Biel. The major shoot at one point shut down central arterial road Lake Shore Boulevard for nearly a full working week, according to the Toronto Star.

Filming has had an extensive ripple-effect on Toronto’s economy and could help push the city’s 2011 production revenue past the CAD1 billion mark, in comparison to the CAD726 million figure reached in 2010. That would make it the city’s best production year for a decade.

We wouldn’t have had [Total Recall] here if Pinewood wasn’t built. This is entirely new money that is going into the city.

Peter Finestone, Toronto Film Commissioner

Peter Finestone is the city’s Film Commissioner and spoke to the paper: “This movie has had an enormous impact on everyone, from people who put the cones on the street to protect parking spaces, to lighting, to sound and camera people, to guys who run the catering trucks. We wouldn’t have had that movie here if Pinewood wasn’t built. This is entirely new money that is going into the city.”

At its peak the production employed 600 workers and the film’s futuristic set design needed the services of some 300 carpenters. It was based at Pinewood’s Toronto facility, but also filmed on location. Previously, the biggest film to shoot in Toronto was The Incredible Hulk, starring Edward Norton.

Although Vancouver tends to get most of the press, Ontario is Canada’s busiest filming hub and had a 40% share of the country’s production activity in 2010, according to a recent report from PricewaterhouseCoopers.