Arnold Schwarzenegger says King Conan is finally moving forward, and it sounds like a big one.
Speaking at the Arnold Classic via YouTube, Schwarzenegger said the studio has hired “a fantastic writer/director who did Tom Cruise’s last four movies” to write and direct King Conan.
Arnold also said Fox has been talking to him about returning for Predator and that a Commando 2 script also exists.
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.
That lines up with the old King Conan idea fans have wanted for years, which would bring Arnold back to the sword-and-sorcery franchise in a sequel built around an older, battle-worn Conan.
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. That makes him an interesting choice if the studio wants to turn King Conan into something much bigger than a nostalgia play.
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.
That is a pretty wild development considering how many of those properties have been dormant or have struggled to find the right direction without him.
Whether all of them happen is another story, but Arnold clearly believes momentum is building.
