Arnold Schwarzenegger to star in King Conan

Arnold Schwarzenegger has said “King Conan,” a new sequel built around his original sword-and-sorcery role, is targeting a 2027 production start. The actor made the comments in remarks published May 19 by TheArnoldFans and carried by trade outlets including The Hollywood Reporter. Christopher McQuarrie, the filmmaker behind the four most recent “Mission: Impossible” movies, is attached to write and direct for 20th Century Studios. The update gives the clearest public timeline yet for a project that has circulated in various forms for years. ### Where did this update come from? May 19 is the date The Hollywood Reporter said Schwarzenegger’s comments surfaced through TheArnoldFans, which interviewed him around the 44th anniversary of 1982’s “Conan the Barbarian.” In that interview, Schwarzenegger said, “Next year, we are going to do King Conan,” adding that the project was now “a reality.” (hollywoodreporter.com) AceShowbiz reported the same update on May 20, saying production was slated to begin in 2027 and naming McQuarrie as writer-director. The trade reporting is more important here than the aggregation because The Hollywood Reporter had already reported in March that McQuarrie was attached at 20th Century. ### What exactly is Schwarzenegger confirming? (hollywoodreporter.com) Schwarzenegger is confirming two things: that he intends to return as Conan, and that the film is now being lined up for a 2027 shoot. The Hollywood Reporter said the sequel would see him reprise the role he first played in 1982 and again in 1984’s “Conan the Destroyer.” (aceshowbiz.com) March 9 is when Deadline reported that 20th Century Studios was developing “King Conan” with Schwarzenegger starring and McQuarrie attached to write and direct. That earlier report means Schwarzenegger’s latest comments function less as a first announcement than as a public production update. (hollywoodreporter.com) ### Why is Christopher McQuarrie central to this version? Christopher McQuarrie is the named filmmaker attached to write and direct the project, according to both Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter. Both outlets tied him to 20th Century’s attempt to revive the franchise with Schwarzenegger back in the lead role. (deadline.com) Schwarzenegger also framed the choice in creative terms. In comments quoted by The Hollywood Reporter, he said he had spent the last 10 years arguing for a script that understood Robert E. Howard’s Conan stories and Frank Frazetta’s artwork. He also said he hoped John Milius, who directed the 1982 film, could be involved as a producer. (hollywoodreporter.com) ### What story is this sequel supposed to tell? Schwarzenegger described “King Conan” as a story about an older ruler who has spent 40 years as king and is no longer in his prime. In the version quoted by Deadline, he said Conan is forced out of the kingdom, with “conflict,” “madness,” “violence,” “magic, and creatures.” (hollywoodreporter.com) The Hollywood Reporter quoted Schwarzenegger comparing the approach to Clint Eastwood’s “Unforgiven,” saying the new film would involve an older Conan who is tired of ruling and facing people trying to remove him. That description matches the long-discussed “King Conan” idea: not a reboot, but a late-life sequel built around the same character aging in real time. (deadline.com) ### How does this fit with the older Conan films? The 1982 “Conan the Barbarian” helped establish Schwarzenegger as a movie star, and it was followed by 1984’s “Conan the Destroyer.” Deadline reported that a third Schwarzenegger Conan film was once planned in the late 1980s but never happened, while Lionsgate later mounted a 2011 reboot starring Jason Momoa. (hollywoodreporter.com) The next concrete marker is 2027, which Schwarzenegger cited as the production window for “King Conan.” Until then, the public record points to 20th Century Studios, Schwarzenegger in the lead, and McQuarrie writing and directing, with additional casting and scheduling details still to come. (hollywoodreporter.com) (deadline.com)