King Conan: Schwarzenegger and McQuarrie Team Up
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After decades of false starts, it looks like Conan is finally returning to the big screen – and Arnold Schwarzenegger is coming with him.
The News
20th Century Studios has attached Christopher McQuarrie – the writer-director behind the last four Mission: Impossible films – to write and direct King Conan, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Schwarzenegger will reprise the role that helped make him a star in 1982.
Schwarzenegger announced the news himself at the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, Ohio this weekend. Speaking to TheArnoldFans, he outlined the basic premise:
“It’s a great story where Conan was 40 years as king and he gets complacent, and now he gets forced out of the kingdom, slowly. Then there’s conflict, of course, and then he somehow comes back, and then there’s all kinds of madness and violence and magic and creatures.”
This sounds like Hour of the Dragon at 80 to me, but: he also addressed concerns about his age – as Schwarzenegger turns 79 this July:
“They don’t write them like I’m forty years old, you write it to be age-appropriate. I’ll still go in there and kick some ass but it will be different.”
A Long Road to Get Here
Hollywood has been trying to bring Schwarzenegger back to Conan for over a decade. Universal previously held the rights and developed an Unforgiven-style story with Fast & Furious writer Chris Morgan, but the project never materialised. That earlier attempt, often referred to as The Legend of Conan, fell apart despite years of development.
20th Century Studios has spent much of the past year securing the rights to move forward with a new film.
My Take: Cautious Optimism
I’ll be honest – I’m a huge Arnie fan. I’ve watched all his films, read his books, and have enormous respect for what he brought to the 1982 original. But I don’t want to see a nearly-80-year-old Schwarzenegger as the main Conan, swinging swords and fighting like he did four decades ago.
What I’d love to see is Schwarzenegger as an aged King Conan, recounting his tales – perhaps framing the story while a younger actor carries the action. This would give the film the clout and legitimacy that Schwarzenegger’s involvement brings, while being honest about what’s physically realistic.
Even in phenomenal shape for his age – and while he genuinely is fitter than 99.9% of other people approaching 80 – there’s no escaping the fact that heavy action sequences would require significant CGI assistance. I’d rather see a dignified performance than a de-aged uncanny valley version of the Austrian Oak.
That said, McQuarrie is a serious filmmaker. The Mission: Impossible films under his direction have been genuinely excellent – tense, well-crafted, and respectful of both spectacle and character. If anyone can thread the needle between nostalgia and quality, it might be him.
What I’m Hoping For
After the 2011 reboot proved that a generic, forgettable Conan doesn’t work, I’m hoping this film gets the character right. That means:
A Conan close to the source material. Robert E. Howard’s Conan is intelligent, cunning, and melancholic – not a grunting brute. He’s a thief, a pirate, a mercenary, and eventually a king. He has depth.
No cheese. The 1982 film worked because John Milius took it seriously. The moment Conan becomes campy or self-aware, it dies.
Real stakes. Howard’s stories are often bleak. People die. Conan doesn’t always win cleanly. The Hyborian Age is a brutal, unforgiving world.
Will King Conan deliver? Based on the 2011 film, I’m sceptical. But McQuarrie’s track record gives me more hope than I’ve had for a Conan project in years.
I’d love to be proven wrong on both counts – and finally get the Conan film that Howard’s creation deserves.
If you want to revisit where it all began, the Conan the Barbarian (1982) Blu-ray remains essential viewing.
Need more Conan right now?
The King Conan Omnibuses are available and they’re excellent. 2026 has also been an excellent year for modern Conan comics and you can find all the new and current Conan comics right here.
And finally, if you’ve only ever seen the films and would like to dive further into the fantastic world of Conan, here’s the best place to get started with Conan the Cimmerian.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is directing the new King Conan film?
Christopher McQuarrie, who wrote and directed the last four Mission: Impossible films, is attached to write and direct.
Will Arnold Schwarzenegger be in King Conan?
Yes. Schwarzenegger announced his involvement at the Arnold Sports Festival in March 2026 and will reprise his role as Conan.
What is King Conan about?
According to Schwarzenegger, the story follows Conan after 40 years as king. He becomes complacent, is forced out of his kingdom, and must fight to reclaim it.
Which studio is making King Conan?
20th Century Studios, which has spent the past year securing the rights to the character.
When will King Conan be released?
No release date has been announced yet. The project is in early development with McQuarrie attached to write the screenplay.
