Arnold Schwarzenegger says plans for a return to the role which catapulted him to superstardom haven't been shelved – and apparently outed a surprise title for the movie in the process.
Speaking at a black tie dinner for fans in Birmingham, the Governator called the new film "Conan the Conqueror", and provided a loose plot outline, reports website The Arnold Fans. “I'm sitting on the throne for year and years, decades, [when] all of a sudden… they want to overthrow me,” says Schwarzenegger. “That story will be told, and that movie will be done.”
The project was previously known as Legend of Conan, and there is a small possibility that Arnie's 'new title' is in fact a slip of the tongue. Whatever the name, it's proposed as a direct sequel to 1982's original Conan film. World Trade Center writer Andrea Berloff was even brought on board to write a script, which mostly ignores 1984 film Conan the Destroyer (also starring Arnie) and 2011's Conan the Barbarian (Jason Momoa.) But a proposed production start date of spring 2015 passed without movement on the project, and it was presumed abandoned.
Producer Frederick Malmberg inists that isn't the case, sharing Arnie's confidence that the film will get made, with Fast And The Furious scribe Chris Morgan amending Berloff's original treatment. “Morgan and I are meeting with directors at this moment,” says Malmberg. “Interest is high, many are fans of Conan but we are not rushing. We have a great script and now we need the right director for the job.”
Despite turning 70 in just 18 months' time, Schwarzenegger says he's prepared for the physical challenges tied into the role. “I feel great and [my] last few movies, I've done many of my own stunts. I am absolutely convinced I can do the Conan movie – the horseback riding, the sword fights and all the fighting.”
At this juncture, Conan the Conqueror/Legend of Conan would likely be looking at a late 2017 or early 2018 release date.
