Arnold Schwarzenegger is set to reprise his iconic role as Conan the Barbarian in a new film directed and written by Christopher McQuarrie, known for leading the latest Mission: Impossible movies. This collaboration aims to relaunch the Conan franchise under 20th Century Studios, building on the character originally created by Robert E. Howard and previously brought to life by Schwarzenegger in the 1980s.
Christopher McQuarrie to Write and Direct King Conan
Christopher McQuarrie, who directed the last four entries in the Mission: Impossible series, has been officially confirmed to write and direct King Conan for 20th Century Studios. Schwarzenegger is expected to return as the sword-wielding hero, reprising his role from the 1982 original film and its 1984 sequel. This new project aims to blend the classic appeal of Conan with modern cinematic technology and a substantial studio budget.
Schwarzenegger Announces Project at Arnold Sports Festival
Schwarzenegger revealed McQuarrie’s involvement over a weekend appearance at the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, Ohio. Alongside the Conan announcement, he mentioned discussions about reprising his role in the Predator franchise, which was recently revived by director Dan Trachtenberg through the 2022 film Prey and its follow-up, Predator: Badlands. Schwarzenegger also shared that he has received a script for Commando 2, which would mark his return as Colonel John Matrix from the 1985 action hit.
Details on the King Conan Storyline
Teasing the narrative of King Conan, Schwarzenegger described it as a story where Conan has spent 40 years as king but becomes complacent and is eventually forced out of his kingdom. The plot involves conflicts, violent confrontations, magical elements, and fantastical creatures, all enhanced by modern special effects and a significant production budget. Schwarzenegger expressed his enthusiasm for these upcoming projects, emphasizing their scale and ambition.
“It’s a great story where Conan was 40 years king [as] king and he gets complacent, and now he gets forced out of the kingdom, slowly. Then there’s conflict, of course, and then he somehow comes back, and then there’s all kinds of madness and violence and magic and creatures. Now, of course, you have all the special effects, and the studio system has plenty of money to make those movies really big. So I’m looking forward to all of those projects.” — Arnold Schwarzenegger, Actor
Past Attempts and Current Rights Landscape
The idea of bringing Schwarzenegger back as Conan has intrigued Hollywood for years. In the early 2010s, Universal held the rights and considered a new take on the character that would have suited Schwarzenegger’s age, with Chris Morgan crafting a script resembling an “Unforgiven”-style story. However, that version never materialized. More recently, 20th Century Studios has spent the last year finalizing the rights to the Conan character to enable this new version to proceed.
Broader Implications for Schwarzenegger’s Action Legacy
Alongside the Conan revival, Schwarzenegger’s remarks at the Arnold Sports Festival signal a broader interest in returning to his classic action roles, including the Predator series and Commando. These upcoming projects could rekindle nostalgic excitement among fans while introducing Schwarzenegger’s enduring characters to a new generation through high-budget productions and contemporary storytelling techniques. The collaboration with Christopher McQuarrie also suggests a commitment to blending blockbuster spectacle with compelling narratives going forward.
