Arnold Schwarzenegger Says ‘King Conan’ Begins Filming Next Year
For decades, horror and fantasy fans have been hearing whispers about Arnold Schwarzenegger returning to the world of Conan the Barbarian. Most of those whispers eventually vanished into the same dark void as Conan the Destroyer’s critical reputation. But now, after years of false starts, cancelled pitches, and endless “maybe next year” conversations, King Conan finally appears to be becoming a reality.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Arnold Schwarzenegger has confirmed that the long discussed sequel is now gearing up to begin filming next year, with Christopher McQuarrie attached to write and direct.
The update originally came through fan site The Arnold Fans, where Schwarzenegger reportedly stated: “Next year we are going to do King Conan. So that is a reality now and I am excited about it.”
For longtime fans of the franchise, this is massive news. Schwarzenegger first swung his enormous sword onto cinema screens in John Milius’ Conan the Barbarian back in 1982, a film now widely regarded as one of the greatest fantasy epics ever made. Adapted from the writings of Robert E. Howard, the movie followed the warrior Conan as he sought revenge against the cult leader Thulsa Doom, played with hypnotic menace by James Earl Jones.
What made Conan the Barbarian stand apart from countless fantasy imitators was its sheer seriousness. Rather than campy adventure nonsense full of rubber monsters and men in glittery loincloths, the film delivered brutal violence, haunting mythology, philosophical narration, and Basil Poledouris’ legendary orchestral score, which still sounds like it could make a shopping trip to Tesco feel mythic.
The sequel, Conan the Destroyer in 1984, took a lighter and more family friendly approach. While still successful financially, many fans felt it lacked the savage edge and operatic atmosphere of the original film. After that, Schwarzenegger moved away from the character entirely as his career exploded into another dimension altogether.
And what a career it became.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is not simply one of the biggest action stars of all time. He is arguably the defining action movie icon of the 1980s and 1990s. After beginning as a bodybuilding phenomenon and multiple time Mr. Olympia champion, Schwarzenegger transitioned into Hollywood superstardom with an almost unbelievable run of classics including The Terminator, Predator, Commando, Total Recall, True Lies, The Running Man, Twins, Kindergarten Cop, and Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
The man somehow managed to become simultaneously terrifying, hilarious, and oddly wholesome. One minute he was ripping a steam pipe through a man’s chest, the next he was teaching children maths while holding a ferret.
Through all those years though, Conan remained unfinished business.
King Conan Finally Coming
Schwarzenegger has spent over a decade publicly trying to get King Conan made, repeatedly explaining that the story only truly works now that he has aged naturally into the role. Speaking about the new film, Arnold explained that the character has now ruled as king for decades and is older, worn down, and no longer the unstoppable warrior from his younger days.
“The movie wouldn’t have worked after I did the first Conan because the whole idea of King Conan is that for 40 years he has been king,” Schwarzenegger said. “He is older now. He is no longer in the shape he was from his heyday and now people are trying to take him out.”
Arnold also compared the tone of the project to Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven, suggesting a darker and more reflective fantasy epic rather than a simple nostalgia driven action film.
That comparison alone should have genre fans paying attention.
Christopher McQuarrie’s involvement also adds serious credibility. McQuarrie has become one of Hollywood’s most reliable blockbuster filmmakers through his work on the Mission: Impossible franchise alongside Tom Cruise, directing Rogue Nation, Fallout, Dead Reckoning, and The Final Reckoning. He also won an Academy Award for writing The Usual Suspects.
Interestingly, Schwarzenegger specifically mentioned wanting somebody who understood both Robert E. Howard’s original stories and the legendary fantasy artwork of Frank Frazetta, whose iconic Conan paintings helped define the character’s visual identity for generations of fans.
That is likely music to the ears of fantasy lovers who have feared modern studios might water Conan down into another bland CGI franchise.
There was of course another attempt to revive the property back in 2011 with Jason Momoa stepping into the role for Conan the Barbarian. While Momoa himself was generally praised, the reboot struggled critically and commercially, leaving Schwarzenegger’s version firmly cemented as the definitive cinematic Conan.
Now, nearly 45 years after first wielding the Atlantean sword, Arnold Schwarzenegger may finally return to the role that helped launch him into superstardom.
And honestly, seeing an ageing Conan dragging himself back into battle one last time sounds infinitely more exciting than watching another interchangeable superhero punch a blue sky beam into space.
