Arnold Schwarzenegger revealed he is starting to work on Triplets, the sequel to his 1988 comedy hit Twins, and could begin filming this year. Schwarzenegger, of course, all but ruled the action movie genre in 1980s with such hits as Conan the Barbarian, Conan the Destroyer, The Terminator, Commando, Predator and The Running Man. His career was so hot, in fact, that he took an uncharacteristic crack at comedy with director Ivan Reitman in Twins – where he played a twin in a genetic experiment opposite Danny DeVito – and the risk paid off.
The followup has been in development for a number of years, with the most recent update coming back in 2015 when Josh Gad reportedly signed on to pen the script. Since that time, all has been quiet on the Triplets front, but now Schwarzenegger and company are beginning to make some headway and might begin shooting in the very near future.
In an interview with EW about his new film Aftermath, Schwarzenegger revealed that Triplets, the long-gestating sequel to Twins that would add comedy icon Eddie Murphy to the family, may start shooting by year's end. He says:
“We are just now working on Triplets. That is on top of the list, for me. Because I’ve been trying to do that for 20 years. Ivan Reitman (the director of Twins) believes in it. Danny DeVito believes in it – who always believed in it – and Eddie Murphy believes in it. It’s going to be terrific! So, we are looking forward to that.”
In Twins, Schwarzenegger, played Julius, the so-called better half of an experiment where all the best traits of a group of men where combined to create a genetically superior human. But when the surrogate mother gave birth to two babies, it was discovered, one got all the "superior" genes and the other got the "crap." The "superior" twin, Julius, was raised in a nurturing environment on a distant island, while the other twin, Vincent (DeVito), was raised in an orphanage in the states and eventually turned loose to grow up a small-time crook. Eventually, Julius and Vincent reunite and embark on a cross-country trek to discover their lineage. If the movie stays with its formula, Triplets will presumably introduce us to a secret third baby that went unmentioned in 1988 film and will grow up to be Murphy's character.
Triplets appears to be Schwarzenegger's best chance at recapturing his '80s glory right now. While he says he's at the ready for Terminator 6 when creator James Cameron re-obtains rights to the franchise in 2019, he said Thursday that a revival of the Conan franchise The Legend of Conan was dead in the water; and he turned down a chance to be in Shane Black's reboot The Predator because he wanted a "more significant role." Additionally, Schwarzenegger said he wouldn't take part in the '80s-inspired action sequel Expendables 4 since his pal Sylvester Stallone, who created the film series, isn't taking part.
With Reitman and DeVito returning for Triplets, along with the addition of Murphy, fans should feel good about the prospects for the sequel. True, it's been almost 30 years since the release of the original, but a lot of great talent is involved including DeVito, whose comedy has been hotter than ever the last 11 years with It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. He may be the shortest character in Twins, but there's no doubt he has longevity.
Triplets does not have a release date. We'll keep you updated on the latest information.
Source: EW