In the early 90s, master director Paul Verhoeven planned a massive historical epic starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. But nothing came of it – to the regret of many fans and a horror icon…
Universal Pictures / 20th Century Fox
In 1990, Paul Verhoeven made the visionary Philip K. Dick film adaptation “Total Recall” together with Arnold Schwarzenegger. If the “Benedetta” director had had his way, the collaboration with the Styrian oak would have continued straight away – there was even a script for “Crusade”, which is a bloody historical epic somewhere between “Kingdom of Heaven” and “Cannibal Holocaust” should be. But unfortunately it will probably forever be left to our imagination what kind of film this could have made…
To this day, many fans regret that “Crusade” could not be filmed. After “Total Recall” and “Terminator 2”, Schwarzenegger was one of the biggest stars ever, and Verhoeven was an extremely sought-after filmmaker, not least because of the erotic thriller hit “Basic Instinct” (1992). In addition, the Dutchman had already proven with the medieval film “Fleisch und Blut” (1985) that he understands dark, brutal historical material.
But even Verhoeven couldn’t guarantee the producers that the film, which would have required a then-huge budget of $100 million, would ultimately be profitable. And so the project didn’t get the green light from the studio.
A setting like “Gladiator”, more brutal than “The Passion of the Christ”
The script has now found its way onto the Internet and is described by many who have read it as follows: While the setting is reminiscent of “Gladiator”, the cinematic content is far more brutal than “The Passion of the Christ” – and Schwarzenegger is basically acting reprising his role from “Conan the Barbarian.” Of course, quite a few fans would give a lot to see the result…
They are like Robert Englund, who horror fans know best as Freddy Krueger from the “Nightmare On Elm Street” series. Because the genre icon was supposed to play the second leading role alongside Schwarzenegger in “Crusade”. “I worked with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the mid-70s,” Englund recalled in an interview with Dread Central (via Far Out Magazine) – he had already appeared alongside the “Predator” star in “Mister Universe” (1976). Camera. “At the height of his fame he was supposed to make a film called ‘Crusade’ for Paul Verhoeven. Paul was also at the peak of his powers and it was destined to be perhaps the greatest film of all time.”
But the risk of a flop was simply too great, and so Verhoeven and Schwarzenegger were forced to go their separate ways. While Schwarzenegger scored the next hit with James Cameron’s “True Lies”, Verhoeven actually directed a commercial failure: “Showgirls”, which was long considered one of the worst films of all time, but has now long since been rehabilitated and is a cult film. Would “Crusade” have had a similar experience? Unfortunately we will never know…
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2023-12-15 09:55:33
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