Arnold Schwarzenegger Close to Signing on for Kim Ji-Woon’s THE LAST STAND

With Arnold Schwarzenegger’s announcement that he’s ready to get back into acting following his tenure as Governator of California, the interwebs have been brimming with chatter as to what film Schwarzenegger will choose for his triumphant return. A new Terminator perhaps? Maybe True Lies 2? Well, now it looks like the actor may have settled on his next flick, and I’m a bit relieved to say it’s a wholly original film.

/Film has confirmed Movieweb’s report that Schwarzenegger is almost locked in a deal with Lionsgate to star in accomplished South Korean director Kim Ji-Woon’s first English-language filmThe Last Stand, written by Andrew Knauer. Hit the jump for more on the project.

The Last Stand previously had Liam Neeson attached in the starring role, but the actor subsequently dropped out. The film tells the story of a border sheriff who must keep an escaped drug dealer from crossing into Mexico. Schwarzenegger would play the border sheriff, who is presumably a badass. Ji-Woon himself described the project as a mix between “Die Hard and High Noon.”

/Film reports that though the deal isn’t official yet, Lionsgate is simply waiting on a counter-offer from Schwarzenegger’s camp. The prospect of Schwarzenegger joining this project excites me for many reasons. First off, I’m happy that he may be starring in an original film, as opposed to “rebooting” one of his many franchises in an unnecessary flick that would most likely turn out to be a slightly entertaining, if all-together forgettable outing.

I’m also intrigued by the idea of Schwarzenegger teaming up with Ji-Woon. The director scored big with A Tale of Two Sisters and A Bittersweet Life, and his most recent effort, the horror-revenge thriller I Saw the Devil was featured at this year’s Sundance Film Festival with positive reception.The Last Stand may be the first live-action project that Schwarzenegger signs on to post-Governorship, but he’s also teamed up with Stan Lee to created the animated TV series The Governator which the actor wants to eventually turn into a 3D feature film.