Arnold Schwarzenegger Confirms Physically Demanding New ‘Conan the Barbarian’ Installment


It has been in the works for decades, but only recently has Arnold Schwarzenegger himself confirmed that a third installment in the iconic Conan film series is indeed imminent.

“Conan the Conqueror,” said Arnold, referring to what will likely be the title of the film. “Where I’m sitting on the throne for years and years – decades. And then all of the sudden, the time comes when they want to overthrow me. So that story WILL be told and that movie WILL be done.”

“As a matter of fact, it has been written and we are now looking for directors so this is a serious drive.”

The 1982 Arnold Schwarzenegger movie Conan the Barbarian, which was hugely popular, is what made Schwarzenegger a household name, and the film remains a cult classic. There is, therefore, great demand for a Conan reprise, a fact which Arnold, the upcoming Conan movie producers, and undoubtedly movie studios are taking into account.

“Interest is high. Many are fans of Conan, but we are not rushing. We have a great script and now we need to find the right director for the job,” said Frederick Malmberg, a confirmed producer for the Schwarzenegger project.

Arnold at a Conana convention
Schwarzenegger at a recent convention for fans of ‘Conan the Barbarian’. [Photo by Sergio Camacho/Getty Images]
Arnold also wants to make sure the new Conan movie is handled right, instead of with the campy, phoned-in feel of 1984’s Conan the Destroyer, the second Schwarzenegger installment in the series, or with the B-movie tone and production values of 2011’s Conan the Barbarian movie reboot, which starred Jason Momoa. Arnold voiced the opinion in an interview he gave way back in January of 2013.

“I’ve now asked for the last ten years to get serious about the Conan series and not look at it as a B-movie or just an edgy action movie but as any quality movie and hire the best directors and the best writers.”

Now that the plans really are moving forward, though, some have expressed concern that the fact Arnold Schwarzenegger is now approaching 70 years of age will make him an unnatural fit as the star in what will very probably be an action movie. However, Universal Studios, which has previously expressed serious interest in producing the next Conan sequel, is adamant about wanting an older Arnold in the movie.

“We want [Arnold] to star and to play Conan. We’re going to take a story where Conan is at that age so it’s totally believable and [he’s] not looking like a 30 year-old action guy.”

Schwarzenegger was also very optimistic about playing the strenuous role of Conan believably, as he did not see his age as an obstacle.

“One of the advantages when you train every day… is that age is not registering in the body the same with everyone else,” said Schwarzenegger. “Because when you stay in shape, you do turn back the clock. So I feel great… I am absolutely convinced that I can do the Conan movie and do the horseback riding, the sword fights, and all the fighting.”

Arnold's bod
Schwarzenegger in ‘Conan the Barbarian’. Can he live up to these heights again? [Photo by STR/AP Images]
The last movie Arnold starred in, Terminator: Genisys, was, like this new Conan film, a reprise of one of the characters Schwarzenegger played during his rise to global fame in the 1980s. Genisys was reviled by critics and fans alike, but just the fact that Arnold was starring lent the film a huge amount of commercial credibility that made Genisys a mild box office success.

Schwarzenegger’s star power, and therefore the high likelihood of huge amounts of exposure, will more than likely be tantalizing (from both creative and monetary standpoints) to prospective directors of the new Conan film.

The Governator (a nickname Schwarzenegger obtained while serving as the governor of California) may not have quite the pop culture status that he once did, but it looks like he is trying to recapture what he once had… successfully, this time around.

[Photo by Ric Francis/AP Images]

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