CANNES, France – Well, Arnold Schwarzenegger IS back.
The one-time muscleman who morphed into Hollywood icon and then California governor returns to his on-screen core — sort of — with a cheekily titled animated TV show, "The Governator."
In an interview, the 63-year-old said he wants to surprise fans who expected him to go back to the big screen, shifting to the virtual world with a superhero who gets things done without the constraints of laws or an often-intractable political system.
"I think that a lot of times you can actually do more and accomplish more being outside of the system," he said.
Schwarzenegger spoke to The Associated Press before unveiling details of what he calls a funny, action-packed, crime-fighting fantasy at the MipTV television business conference in the Riviera resort of Cannes. Action Comics giant Stan Lee will be at the show's creative helm.
Schwarzenegger, who will voice the superhero, was the talk of the town Monday: France's culture minister inducted him into the Legion of Honor and he had his handprints cast in cement for Cannes' star walk.
Three months out of office, current events are still on his mind, from Japan's earthquake disaster to the Arab world turmoil and to environmental and economic troubles in the West.
Still, showbiz is eclipsing politics for now.
"I am not as eager to run for office," he said, lounging in an opulent hotel suite overlooking the Mediterranean. "Entertainment is the important thing right now.
"I am fortunate that I can have a foot in entertainment and a foot in the political arena," he added.
That's where the show comes in: Bridging Schwarzenegger's many personas over the years in a TV project that riffs off his public service, his athletic and acting prowess, and his business savvy.
Think Bruce Wayne — the civilian tycoon behind the Batman mask — but involving a former California governor who assembles a team of whiz kids to fight both crime and natural disasters out of a high-tech lair under his mansion in Brentwood, and unbeknownst to his own family upstairs.
In short: "It's a superheroic guy" with powers that a real-world governor could only dream of.
"It's kind of like, when you see that you could have fought certain crimes, but the system didn't allow you, or there were too many people that had to be asked for permission, by that time the criminals were gone or the disaster that could have been prevented" was here, Schwarzenegger said. "With this, it's a fantasy world where the governor has extra powers."
In a sneak-peak teaser aired for the TV honchos at Cannes, the animated governor declares "I won't be back" on the capital steps. Newsman Larry King — show producers say it's really his voice — presses for answers.
Schwarzenegger insisted the show would not be violent, in a conscious break from his cinematic past.
"If you look at my movies, a lot of heads come off ... this is not what this is," he said.
The chance to change his image and surprise his fans was what drew him to the project.
"We happened to start working on this and I said 'This is a perfect thing to introduce first,'" he explained.
First? Did he mean before a possible return to acting?
Schwarzenegger played coy, or perhaps simply has not yet made up his mind.
"I have not committed to anything," he said. "We are concentrating on launching this series and this character, and then when that is done, then I will make the next decision."
Copyright © 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
- Comment
