Former Governor of California, US actor Arnold Schwarzenegger arrives at the Elysee Palace, December 2017, in Paris, France. Image: Christophe Archambault / AFP
Action hero actor of the 1980s and ’90s, Arnold Schwarzenegger, is joining the cast of action comedy “Kung Fury II,” a feature-length sequel to 2015’s cult hit short.
As with the free 2015 short “Kung Fury,” Swedish creative David Sandberg returns as director, producer and star for a feature-length riff on the titular time-traveling kung fu cop.
Together with the producers from 2017’s $700m-grossing Stephen King adaptation “It,” Sandberg has recruited David Hasselhoff, Michael Fassbender, and now Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The “Austrian Oak” (and ex-Governor of California) was synonymous with the action movie genre in the 1980s and ’90s thanks to leading role appearances in the “Conan the Barbarian” and “Terminator” franchises, as well as “Commando,” “Predator,” and “Total Recall.”
This feature-length version of “Kung Fury” is due to go into production mid-2018, with the project being presented to prospective distributors at the European Film Market, running alongside the Berlin International Film Festival February 15 to 23.
Set in 1985 Miami, it follows police officer Kung Fury as he and his unit of elite enforcers, the Thundercops, attempt to stop the Kung Fuhrer and another mysterious villain from getting their hands on the ultimate weapon.
Schwarzenegger would play a role not found in the original short, that of the US president, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
For the original “Kung Fury“, Sandberg, a commercial and music video director, used his production expertise to create a VFX-heavy, stunt-laden blast of nostalgia and satire; posted to YouTube after a 2015 Cannes Film Festival presentation, “Kung Fury” rocketed to double-digit views within the week.
David Hasselhoff, made famous with his long-running stints in TV series “Knight Rider” and then “Baywatch,” cameoed in the original short as the AI operator of Kung Fury’s sports car, then sang the theme tune “True Survivor” and starred in its official music video.
Michael Fassbender was added to the cast in a February 12 announcement, the Irish-German actor having broken through with “Inglorious Basterds” and gone on to make multiple appearances in the “X-Men” and “Aliens” franchises. AB
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