For fans of all things Arnold Schwarzenegger, this past fortnight has proven to be an assortment of exciting highs and deflating lows. Late last month, the Austrian Oak hinted that his time in The Terminator franchise had come to an end, only to clarify that those comments were taken somewhat out of context. Turns out he will be back after all, which isn’t something that can be said about The Predator.
Indeed, Schwarzenegger has been rumored with a cameo role in Shane Black’s R-rated franchise revival from day one; however, it was revealed earlier this week that the action veteran actually turned down said role on the grounds that it was too insignificant. That’s probably for the best, too, given that Black is engineering a horror-thriller that is decidedly different from the cult classic of ’87.
Capping off a busy week for Arnie, writer-producer Chris Morgan has now revealed to Entertainment Weekly that Conan 3 – also referred to as The Legend of Conan or simply Conan the Conqueror – has effectively stalled at Universal.
Not so much. That’s kind of a longer story. At the end of the day, the studio decided that they weren’t gonna make that. I gotta say, it’s honestly a heartbreak. I love that first movie so much, so much, it’s one of my favorite movies. We had Will Beall do a draft on [the Legend of Conan script]. He killed it. Our take was Conan, 30 years later, a story like the Clint Eastwood Unforgiven. It was so awesome. Ultimately, the budget was big, the studio was not really sure of the title, and the relevance in the marketplace. They ended up letting it go. I think they’re gonna look to do a TV show or something with it. But just to be associated with it, pitch it to Arnold, have him get so excited, there was a moment of magic for me, personally [laughs]. You never know, down the road we may revisit!
That’s disappointing, then, particularly when you consider that Schwarzenegger has been passionately campaigning for a new Conan movie for the last few years. Universal’s decision to pump the brakes doesn’t necessarily mean that the franchise is dead, though, after Erik Davis (via /Film) clarified that the actor remains invested in the series, and will now look into the possibility of resurrecting The Legend of Conan at another studio.
Again, Arnold told me this week that they're still working on CONAN. I wouldn't say it's dead yet. https://t.co/Owhoak5b5R
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) April 6, 2017
All in all, there remains a silver of hope that The Legend of Conan will see the light of day – even if it is just a sliver. Schwarzenegger, meanwhile, will next be seen wrestling with grief and loss in Elliott Lester’s Aftermath. It opens in select theaters today, April 7th.
