Arnold Schwarzenegger has come back in a big way. Following his pretty successful time as the Governator…I mean, the Governor of California, Arnie stepped back onto the big screen in bit parts and leading roles alike, doing everything from stints with The Expendables to ludicrously enjoyable outings as badass sheriffs and convicted criminals. But Arnold Schwarzenegger is hoping to remain true to his roots, as he steps back into his iconic T-800 part in Terminator: Genisys and prepares for the possibility of both a Twins and Conan return. Now, we can add The Running Man to list of iconic Arnie remakes/sequels that the action star has on the dock.
Speaking at a Q&A in England recently, Schwarzenegger let drop the idea that there might be a The Running Man sequel in the works. Here’s what he said (via /Film):
It’s an honor to be asked back after all these years, back to the franchise. This is really wild… They’re doing a Twins sequel, to be called ‘Triplets’ I’ve read the first draft. There’s rumblings of a new ‘Running Man’ movie, so it’s a great honor to be asked back… [Getting in shape for these sequels] comes back to bodybuilding, I’m used to doing cardiovascular training every day. Therefore I’m still in good shape, and I can do the action and have the energy to do these movies.
The Running Man was a 1987 adaptation of a rather early Stephen King novel. It’s set in a dystopian world where convicted criminals are chased by professional killers in a game show scenario. Schwarzenegger was the star of the original film, but he’s a bit past his prime nowadays.
It’s not clear whether the new The Running Man will be a remake or a sequel to the original (the plot of which concludes in the year 2018), but it would make more sense as a remake, especially considering the current popularity of similarly-themed dystopian “game show” movies. Perhaps Arnie will appear in the host part originated by Richard Dawson, as Matt Singer at ScreenCrush suggests.
So, we have plenty of Arnold Schwarzenegger to look forward to as we move into the future. We shall certainly see him next in Terminator: Genisys when it hits theaters next July. After that, who knows? The Running Man? Triplets? The much-anticipated sequel to Junior? One thing’s for sure, and that’s that there can be no doubt that Arnie will certainly be back.