Arnold will go back to doing what is best in life for the summer of 2014.
While he is best recognized from the original Terminator movies, Arnold Schwarzenegger started his blockbuster career with 1982’s Conan the Barbarian. The film was a sword-and-sorcery epic based on the short stories by Robert E. Howard, and quickly became a cult classic. Schwarzenegger starred in a sequel and was being considered for a third film before he was elected governor of California, effectively putting his acting career on hold. Now that Schwarzenegger’s political term has come to a close, that is no longer the case. Schwarzenegger recently confirmed that he has signed on for The Legend of Conan, a direct sequel to the 1982 film that will debut in 2014.
“I always loved the Conan character and I’m honored to be asked to step into the role once again,” Schwarzenegger said. “I can’t wait to work with Universal and the great team of Fredrik Malmberg and Chris Morgan to develop the next step of this truly epic story.”
The new film, which will ignore the events of the 1984 sequel and 2011 reboot, depicts an aging Conan decades after taking control of his kingdom. “The original ended with Arnold on the throne as a seasoned warrior, and this is the take of the film we will make,” producer Fredrik Malmberg explains. “It’s that Nordic Viking mythic guy who has played the role of king, warrior, soldier and mercenary, and who has bedded more women than anyone, nearing the last cycle of his life. He knows he’ll be going to Valhalla, and wants to go out with a good battle.”
The Legend of Conan has been plotted by Chris Morgan from Wanted, 47 Ronin, and Fast and the Furious 6. Above all, Morgan considers this film to be a dream project and return-to-form for the Conan franchise. “After the original seminal movie, all that came after looked silly to me,” Morgan said. “Robert E. Howard’s mythology and some great philosophy from Nietzsche to Atilla the Hun was layered in the original film … I love the property of Conan so much that I wouldn’t touch it unless we came up with something worthy. We think this is a worthy successor to the original film. Think of this as Conan’s Unforgiven.”
Shortly before being elected governor, Schwarzenegger considered starring in King Conan: Crown of Iron, a script which also featured an aging Conan struggling to defend his kingdom. The concept is clearly an intriguing one for Schwarzenegger and the studio, and could make for an excellent sequel. Conan fans have reason to be excited, although since the film is still in the pre-production phase only Crom knows how it will turn out in the end.
