Arnold Schwarzenegger Joins 'Kung Fury' Feature Film (Exclusive)

Authored by hollywoodreporter.com and submitted by NeilPoonHandler
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Michael Fassbender and David Hasselhoff have already been cast in the buzzy follow-up to David Sandberg's cult 2015 action-comedy short, which Bloom is introducing to buyers in Berlin.

In what sounds like a match made in '80s heaven, Arnold Schwarzenegger has joined the cast of Kung Fury, the feature-length follow-up to the cult 2015 short.

THR understands that the Terminator, Predator and Total Recall icon (and former California governor) will play the American president in David Sandberg's action-comedy, set to shoot in Europe and in the U.S. this summer. He joins fellow '80s hero David Hasselhoff and Oscar-nominated actor Michael Fassbender, who were announced earlier this week.

The original Kung Fury is a cheesy and comically OTT homage to '80s martial arts and police action films. It became a Kickstarter sensation that bowed in Cannes' Directors Fortnight and has gained over 40 million views worldwide. Swedish filmmaker Sandberg, creator of the short, will also star as the titular hero (the "greatest damn cop of all time") in the new iteration, alongside Fassbender, and produce under his Laser Unicorns banner. (Watch the original here.)

David Katzenberg, Seth Grahame-Smith and Aaron Schmidt will produce for KatzSmith Productions, fresh off the huge success of last year’s $700 million-amassing It remake, while Philip Westgren of B-Reel Films and Conor McCaughen will also produce. Pelle Strandberg is exec producing on behalf of Laser Unicorns.

The action is set in 1985 Miami, which is kept safe under the watchful eye of Kung Fury and his Thundercops, the ultimate police force assembled from across history to defeat the villainous Kung Fuhrer, Adolf Hitler. After the tragic death of a Thundercop sees the group disband, a mysterious villain emerges from the shadows to aid in the Fuhrer's quest to attain the ultimate weapon. Kung Fury must travel through space and time to save his friends, defend the prestigious Miami Kung Fu Academy and defeat evil once and for all.

Bloom is handling international sales on Kung Fury and introducing the project at the European Film Market in Berlin, where THR has heard buyers are already buzzing over the script.

Endeavor Content and CAA are repping for North America. Schwarzenegger is repped by CAA.

This story first appeared in The Hollywood Reporter's Feb. 16 daily issue at the Berlin Film Festival.

zared619 on February 15th, 2018 at 20:49 UTC »

It seems as though Hackerman has managed to hack the minds of everyone's favorite 80's movie stars and convince them to join the movie!

kansasjeremy on February 15th, 2018 at 19:16 UTC »

he better not be replacing thor. that dude had some epic pecs

edit: he's playing the president. i am excited

SparkG on February 15th, 2018 at 19:16 UTC »

THR understands that the Terminator, Predator and Total Recall icon (and former California governor) will play the American president...

"I was elected to lead, not to read."