`TOTAL RECALL' SLOTTED FOR SEQUEL WITH ARNOLD.

Byline: Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

The sequel to Arnold Schwarzenegger's 1990 megahit ``Total Recall'' is set to go.

This is the word from Jonathan Frakes, who reveals, ``My partner and I are producing and, hopefully, I'll be directing.''

The actor-cum-director, who scored so big with the 1996 ``Star Trek: First Contact,'' is now in preproduction on the next big-screen ``Star Trek'' film. He says they'll start work on the ``Total Recall'' follow-up ``when I'm done with `Star Trek' and when Arnold's schedule allows.''

He reveals that the as-yet-untitled ``Star Trek'' will ``be boldly going to another planet.'' He describes the feature as ``sort of a `Lost Horizon' meets `All the President's Men' with a little touch of `For Whom the Bell Tolls.' '' It has, he says, ``a more romantic flavor than `First Contact,' with the main story arc focusing on Capt. Picard (Patrick Stewart). But it's still got tons of action and ships blowing up and all the great `Star Trek' stuff the fans love.''

The new ``Trek'' rolls in March. They're already scouting locations up north around Carmel. This week, they'll start casting for supporting players on the flick. And in the meantime, Frakes is taping two segments a day of ``Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction,'' the Fox series that debuts Jan. 23. With Frakes as host, it'll bring us astonishing tales of the bizarre and then ask the viewers to decide which are fact or fiction.

Something different

Canyon Ranch, which has been the getaway retreat of so many filmland famed, will be the setting of a United Artists big-screen comedy by ``Coach'' creator Barry Kemp. Should they choose to accept them, there will be parts for Sally Field, Goldie Hawn, Meryl Streep. And that's not all.

Says Kemp, ``There will be a few male characters, and an awful lot of women who run the gamut from 50 to 20. Goldie, Sally, Meryl - yeah, right on the money.''

Kemp says that most of ``The Spa'' will be comedic but that, ``There will be some pathos as well.'' Different parts of the story will take distinctly different points of view, with four women writers dividing portions of the script. They're Robin Schiff, Julia Sweeney, Winnie Holtman (``My So-Called Life'') and Wendy Goldman. ``I thought,'' says Kemp, ``that it would be good to have individual voices. It is a creative way of working, and it's working out well.''

The clock is ticking

Things are starting to get emotional as the ``Murphy Brown'' troops march toward the conclusion of production of the decade-old Candice Bergen series. Last week, cast and crew took time to sit for ``family'' pictures together on the sound stage, and there was a farewell get-together for longtime ``Murphy'' director Peter Bonerz, who helmed his final show. Barnet Kellman, the first ``Murphy Brown'' director, is returning to direct the series' final episodes.

And in the main ring

Now, with the Golden Globes having come and gone, the industry will be focusing hard on the one movie competition that really counts: the Academy Awards. ``Titanic,'' of course, is the front-runner in the race. ``As Good as It Gets'' and ``L.A. Confidential'' are considered sure shots for nominations. And after that ... ``Good Will Hunting,'' good as it is, might be overlooked because it's a first-time film-writing effort by its young co-stars, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. ``Wag the Dog'' can't be overlooked as a contender, if only because of its inside-industry satire. Steven Spielberg's ``Amistad,'' disappointment that it's been, will be the surprise if it's included as a Best Picture candidate. But there is still a sizable list of features that have a chance of making it into the Best Picture derby. They include ``The Full Monty,'' ``Her Majesty Mrs. Brown,'' ``Boogie Nights,'' ``The Sweet Hereafter,'' ``Eve's Bayou,'' ``Wings of the Dove,'' ``The Ice Storm'' and ``The Postman.'' Just kidding about the latter.

Our town

Nice to see how beautifully Chasen's has come to life again in its new location on Beverly Hills' Canon Drive. Squeezed into the restaurant the other night were an assortment of high-profile celebrities and show-business moguls ranging from Rod Stewart, Rachel Hunter, Billy Dee Williams, Bob Barker, Ginny Mancini and Sidney Poitier to Marvin Davis, Warren Christopher, Betsy Bloomingdale - and she of the shoes, Imelda Marcos.

With reports by Stephanie DuBois.

CAPTION(S):

3 Photos

Photo: (1) Jonathan Frakes

Enterprising director

(2) Arnold Schwarzenegger

He'll be back in ``Recall''

(3) Patrick Stewart

Central to ``Trek'' feature