Arnold's CRUSADE to the big screen!
James Cameron to direct violent oak epic?

Reported By: AB King
Tuesday, September 26, 2006

The film James Cameron is writing for Arnold Schwarzenegger's comeback after political office is none other than CRUSADE! Arnie owns the film rights to CRUSADE, a film long described as "the oak's pet project". According to the 2004 book "WHY ARNOLD MATTERS: THE RISE OF A CULTURAL ICON", this news is confirmed. Writers Michael Blitz and Louise Krasniewicz briefly mentions James Cameron involvement and original writer Walon Green.

It comes as no surprise that James Cameron is the guy Arnold went to so that his "dream project" happens one day in the future. Jim is one of Arnie's best friends in life and a filmmaking team having collaborated on "The Terminator", "Terminator 2: Judgment Day", "True Lies" and "T2:3D".

Arnold holds Cameron in the highest regards and has always been looking forward to working with him again after T3 fell apart for Cameron directing. Much like TITANIC, Jim would bring CRUSADE to the big screen in epic masterful glory. Of course Arnie has to finish off his term(s) as governor before this "pet project" can happen. But if Arnie is looking for a huge comeback that will make headlines and have people talking, a film based on the crusades would definetly make him the talk of Hollywood again.

The story of CRUSADE goes like this:
Arnold is to play Hagan, a thief in the Middle Ages who is condemned to die. Hearing that the pope has declared a call to Holy War and had instructed the people to look for a sign that this is the Lords bidding. Hagan decides to offer the people what they need and save himself in the process. In his prison cell, he burns the image of a cross into his back. When it is discovered by his would-be executioners, it is recognized as the sought-after sign and he is chosen to lead the Crusades.

According to the two authors for the Schwarzenegger book, The Holy Wars, or Crusades, had many economic, cultural, religious, and political purposes, but one explicit one was to free the Holy Lands from the Arabs "occupying" these sacred places. For reasons that are usually presented as economic but may very well have also been political, Schwarzenegger never made CRUSADE.

When Arnold is out of office, he has NOTHING to loose in making such a film. He can enter the next stage of his already extravagant career and become more grand like a Charlton Heston. With James Cameron on board, Arnold has the opportunity to make another film classic for the new age!