Arnie may be approaching 80, but the action icon isn’t done revisiting the ’80s characters that made him a global superstar.
Speaking at the Arnold Sports Festival in Ohio, Schwarzenegger revealed that discussions are underway for returns to three of his most iconic franchises. Yes, that’s Conan the Barbarian, Predator, and Commando.
According to the actor, studios are actively developing projects that could see him reprise those legendary roles.
“King Conan” in development
One of the most intriguing projects is a new Conan film, often referred to as “King Conan.” Schwarzenegger said the studio has hired a “fantastic writer-director” who worked on several recent Tom Cruise films. That’s widely believed to be Mission Impossible’s most recent visionary, filmmaker Christopher McQuarrie – to develop the movie.
Rather than revisiting the sword-swinging barbarian of the early 1980s, the film would depict an older Conan who has ruled as king for decades before being forced out of his kingdom. The story reportedly follows his return to power amid conflict, magic, and mythic creatures.
Schwarzenegger indicated the character would be written to suit his current age, promising audiences that Conan will still be capable of action, just in a different form.
“They don’t write them like I’m 40 years old. You write it to be age appropriate. I’ll still go in there and kick some ass but it will be different. With ‘King Conan,’ it’s a great old story that Conan was 40 years as king and now he gets forced out of the kingdom and there’s conflict, of course, but somehow he comes back and there’s all kinds of madness, violence, magic and creatures and stuff like that.”
“And now, of course, there’s all kinds of special effects. The studio has plenty of money to make those movies really big so I’m looking forward to all of those projects.”
READ NEXT: How The Terminator Was a Bargain in 1984 — And Where They Saved Every $
Possible return to the Predator universe
Schwarzenegger also confirmed he has spoken with director Dan Trachtenberg about appearing in a future Predator project.
The actor famously played Dutch, the elite soldier who faces off against the alien hunter in the original 1987 film. Trachtenberg, who has overseen recent entries in the franchise, reportedly wants Schwarzenegger involved in a future installment.
The franchise has been revitalized in recent years with new films expanding the universe, suggesting the door may be open for the return of Dutch decades after his first encounter with the Predator. Arnie’s likeness was used for a cameo appearance in the animated movie “Predator: Killer of Killers” which showed Dutch in a suspended animation chamber.
“They did an additional Predator and the director (Trachtenberg) has been doing a great job of that. Now, he wants me to be in the next Predator. We’ve talked about it,” Schwarzenegger said.
“As a matter of fact, Fox Studios has kind of rediscovered Arnold. They’ve come to me and said, ‘We want you to do “Predator,” we just got a script for you to do “Commando 2.”
ARNIE FANS: Why The Running Man Had to Change When Christopher Reeve Left
A late-career franchise comeback?
If all three projects come to fruition, it would mark an extraordinary late-career run for the action legend, revisiting characters that helped define 1980s blockbuster cinema.
Schwarzenegger himself sounded optimistic about the possibilities, noting that studios have the resources to make these films on a grand scale and that he’s excited about the prospect of returning to those worlds.
For fans of classic action cinema, the idea of seeing Schwarzenegger step back into the boots of Conan, Dutch, and John Matrix could make the coming years a nostalgic celebration of one of Hollywood’s most enduring stars.
Or does it run the risk of damaging the legacy of these icons?
READ NEXT: The Running Man: Stolen Story, Arnie’s Changes and Bad One-Liners