Arnold Schwarzenegger Says King Conan Is In The Works With Christopher McQuarrie

Arnold Schwarzenegger says King Conan is finally moving forward, and it sounds like a big one.

Speaking at the Arnold Classic, Schwarzenegger said the studio has hired “a fantastic writer/director who did Tom Cruise’s last four movies” to write and direct King Conan.

Variety followed up and reported Arnold also said Fox has been talking to him about returning for Predator and that a Commando 2 script also exists.

Update: Filming is said to start in 2027, and that Arnold is already back training for the role.

Arnold Schwarzenegger teases King Conan

According to Schwarzenegger, the new Conan movie would be written to fit where he is now in life instead of pretending he is still the younger version of the character.

Arnold said the idea is age-appropriate but still action-heavy, with Conan as an older king who has grown complacent, gets pushed out, and is forced back into conflict.

Schwarzenegger described a movie filled with madness, violence, magic, creatures, and the kind of bigger-scale spectacle modern visual effects can now deliver.

Chris McQuarrie appears to be the big get

While Arnold didn’t name him in the clip, his description points to Christopher McQuarrie.

McQuarrie has been one of Tom Cruise’s key collaborators for years. He wrote and directed Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, Fallout, Dead Reckoning, and The Final Reckoning, and he also worked on Top Gun: Maverick.

If Schwarzenegger’s comments are accurate, that is a major name to attach to Conan.

Arnold says Fox has also “rediscovered” him

Schwarzenegger made it sound like Conan is only part of a larger push.

He said Fox has come to him about Predator, talked about doing Commando 2, and generally seems interested in reviving multiple Arnold franchises.

Whether all of them happen is another story, but Arnold clearly believes momentum is building.

Why King Conan is the one fans want

Of all the revival ideas, King Conan is probably the easiest sell.

The original Conan the Barbarian released in 1982 and starred Arnold Schwarzenegger alongside James Earl Jones, Sandahl Bergman, and Max von Sydow.

It was followed by Conan the Destroyer in 1984, but fans have long wanted a true follow-up that brings Arnold back in the role instead of rebooting the character again.

Instead of another remake, Schwarzenegger is teasing a sequel built around the version of Conan that made him a star in the first place. And with McQuarrie reportedly involved, King Conan suddenly sounds a lot more real than the usual sequel talk that goes nowhere.