Arnold Schwarzenegger will try serious acting. Maybe.
Arnold Schwarzenegger wants to strap on the serious weaponry and blow people away on behalf of Skynet in a fifth "Terminator" movie. But before that happens, he could don a more dramatic mask.
So says Vulture, which calls "Cry Macho," a drama from "Lincoln Lawyer" director Brad Furman and "Million Dollar Baby" producer Al Ruddy, Schwarzenegger's next movie. Based on a novel by N. Richard Nash, it centers on an aging horse trainer who tries to get back in with his boss by kidnapping the boss' son from his ex-wife (in a "Ruthless People" turn, his ex-wife doesn't want the son back).
The site calls the film Schwarzenegger's "first post-gubernatorial project." Of course, things frequently don't happen that quickly for projects like this. There's no financing yet for the independent film, which will be seeking funds from foreign sales at the Cannes Film Festival in May, an event ahead of which this news is serendipitously surfacing. And Furman does have a history of getting a bit ahead of himself. (Messages for Ruddy and Furman were not immediately returned Friday morning.)
If "Cry Macho" does get made, is it a good choice for Arnold? In the recent history of actor comebacks, a shift to serious gears has been an effective way to get one going; Mickey Rourke, for one, executed it to perfection in "The Wrestler."
Of course, that presupposes you have the chops to pull it off. And even if you could, sometimes it's still better to take on a big summer blockbuster. No matter how good Robert Downey Jr. would have been in the smallest indie circa 2008, it didn't hurt that he was seen by millions in "Iron Man."
With no script or screenwriter for "Terminator 5" and no money as yet for "Cry Macho," it will still be a little bit before we see Schwarzenegger back on the big screen. And a while before the Governator decides what comeback path to take.
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--Steven Zeitchik
Photo: Arnold Schwarzenegger receiving a championship belt at an environmental conference in Los Angeles two weeks ago. Credit: Robyn Beck / AFP
I am afraid it wont work. Arnold is best known for action comedy and I am afraid a movie like “Cry Macho” will fail at the box office. Sylvester Stallone tried the same thing and after a few flops realized he was wasting his time and returned to his action roles which have done really well.
Posted by: HugeFan | 04/29/2011 at 12:04 PM
Comedy is much harder than serious acting. Arnold has been underestimated his entire life, nothing he tries and succeeds at would surprise me.
Posted by: JayCeezy | 04/29/2011 at 02:12 PM
The more he tries to act seriously, the funnier it will be.
Posted by: Rocco | 04/29/2011 at 02:51 PM
Arnold...don't try to get too serious. You are not a serious actor. You are a weightlifter\bodybuilder turned action hero...and that's about the limit of your range.
You do what you do best well...so stick to it!
Posted by: Bradford Talamon | 04/29/2011 at 03:24 PM
I think he should act again he has great movies his movies are the best to watch
Posted by: LuanneAlonzo | 04/29/2011 at 04:07 PM
Why? He spent the last seven years honing his skills at situation comedy.
Posted by: Michael | 04/29/2011 at 11:46 PM
act? seriously?
Posted by: studio | 04/30/2011 at 09:00 AM
Arnold was TRYING to act the last several years as the Governor of "Cal-ee-PHONE-ya".
Posted by: Mark Gang | 04/30/2011 at 04:11 PM
ok- the arninator will be big box office. but what about the independant distributors. arninator should put aside his large ego and think about the smaller players. its been a good run arni but its time to smell the flowers and spend time with the family,
Posted by: skynet | 04/30/2011 at 04:29 PM
Arnold acting seriously? That's serious comedy.
Posted by: California Sun | 04/30/2011 at 04:54 PM
I thought that is what (acting) he was doing as Governor!
Posted by: Cooler Heads | 04/30/2011 at 09:39 PM
Look,last 8 years were bad acting from Democrat Pretending to be Republican.
Go back to what you know.Movies and that Kennedy Connection never worked out so well.
Posted by: HPV911 | 05/01/2011 at 12:29 PM
Schwarzenegger is terrible. I'm sure whatever project he does will flop!
Posted by: Silverlake Mike | 05/01/2011 at 12:31 PM
I went from liking him as an actor to hating him as a politician. I won't go back.
PArdoning his friends murdering son in a last minute behind closed doors was the last straw.
Rot in hell Arnie
Posted by: Stephen Carmona | 05/01/2011 at 02:19 PM
Anorld is a good and humble man, seing him back on the screen is a good thing. some governors in some of african countries cant do this, cos they will be looking at there position as governor, anold is back on screen and he is back again for good and intresting movies.
Posted by: Mahyorwah Horlahneeyee | 05/01/2011 at 11:21 PM
um what about KING CONAN please
Posted by: glenn | 05/02/2011 at 05:22 AM
After nabbing the position in a recall, those years of attempting such a thankless job as being California governor should have built up a huge Method Acting reservoir for taking care of an unwanted kidnapped kid.
Posted by: Kaonashi | 05/02/2011 at 05:37 AM
He should play an incompetent grandstanding governor of a big state. Something tells me he could nail that role.
Posted by: SandyH1 | 05/02/2011 at 10:58 AM
Boycott anything and everything ARnold to pay him back for the mess he left us with in Sacramento!
Posted by: RC Vickerman | 05/02/2011 at 02:12 PM
C'mon Mark Gang,
It is pronounced, "Cow - Leaf - Ornya".
Posted by: Dave Smith | 05/02/2011 at 09:54 PM
He could do a serious film, but it would require a very experienced, meticulous director to get a legitimate performance out of him. I think he should try it. He's been surprising in the past. I don't think he's ever really tried to do any actual acting in the past. Who knows? Now that the physique is on the wane, and he's been knocked around in politics, he might have some new dimensions to his personality.
Posted by: Mike | 05/03/2011 at 09:17 AM
I've always said that Schwarzenegger should try to get a role in an independent film where he actually acts. Look at Burt Reynolds in "Boogie Nights," or Stallone in "Copland." No, it doesn't necessarily translate into box office gold, but so what? He doesn't need the money.
Posted by: Brett | 05/03/2011 at 10:58 AM