We’ve learned that Jason Momoa and Arnold Schwarzenegger will costar in an upcoming crime thriller.
Aquaman and the Terminator are joining forces! Our trusted and proven sources tell us that, rather than traveling to the past to save fish, Jason Momoa and Arnold Schwarzenegger have agreed to star together in an untitled crime thriller. The film will be directed by Karyn Kusama (Destroyer) and produced by STX Films.
While we don’t yet have a title for the film, it’s being called a “gritty crime drama.” Jason Momoa and Arnold Schwarzenegger will play detectives on the trail of a serial killer who is murdering young women.
The premise and genre are interesting choices for the first on-screen collaboration between Jason Momoa and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Considering their respective careers, you might assume the two musclebound superstars would be better suited for an action film. But while Momoa is still in his prime, Schwarzenegger will be turning 76 this year, so something that’s a little more Se7en and a little less Commando is probably, quite literally, what the doctor ordered.
The first film starring both Jason Momoa and Arnold Schwarzenegger should give the pair the opportunity to discuss one of their shared experiences: their respective portrayals of the iconic Conan. Schwarzenegger’s starring role in 1982’s Conan the Barbarian was the Governator’s breakout performance, and he reprised the role of the Cimmerian warrior for 1984’s Conan the Destroyer.
Sadly, Jason Momoa’s experience with the franchise wouldn’t prove as fruitful. He starred in the 2011 remake Conan the Barbarian in the titular role, but the film proved to be a critical and commercial bomb. Momoa has been quite frank about his opinion about the film, saying that while making Conan was one of the most rewarding experiences of his career, that in post-production the movie was turned into a “big pile of s–t.”
Jason Momoa in Conan the Barbarian (2011)
The Jason Momoa/Arnold Schwarzenegger team-up will also mark director Karyn Kusama’s return to the big screen since 2018’s Destroyer. The drama stars Nicole Kidman playing hard against type, as an undercover detective who goes on a quest for vengeance on the gang she once infiltrated. While Destroyer didn’t make much money, the critics loved it and Kidman was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance.
Since Destroyer, Kusama has worked mostly in television for premiere series like Showtime’s Yellowjackets, Amazon‘s The Consultant, and most recently on the penultimate episode of the miniseries Dead Ringers. Considering the tone and nature of her previous work, she seems like a smart choice for the thriller that will unite Jason Momoa with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
