Arnold Schwarzenegger will star in his first scripted television series, Utap, which was first announced towards the end of 2020 but has also been referred to as FUBAR. Here’s what we know so far about the series, which stars Arnold Schwarzenegger in his first major Netflix project as well as his first major TV project.
According to Deadline, the project faced stiff competition, but Netflix ultimately prevailed in the bidding war. The news is extremely exciting because Schwarzenegger has little experience in television and has never played a major role in a series.
The herculean Austrian has starred in dozens of films over the course of five decades, but his first major TV role will be on Netflix.
Schwarzenegger’s return to Skydance as the series’ main character builds on his previous appearances as the T-800 in Terminator: Genisys and Terminator: Dark Fate.
The first season will consist of 8 episodes.
Who’s behind the project?
The new series is produced by Skydance Television and Blackjack Films Inc., two major production companies.
The acquisition of Utap also continues Netflix’s and Skydance’s fruitful partnership. In 2020, the studio collaborated on The Old Guard with Denver and Delilah Productions, as well as 6 Underground with Bay Films, which was one of Netflix’s most expensive productions to date. Grace and Frankie, as well as the science fiction series Altered Carbon, were also produced by the studio.
The series is created, executive produced, and written by Nick Santora. His work on popular shows like Scorpion, Breakout Kings, Lie to Me, and Prison Break has made him a household name.
Santora is also working on the biopic Dog Gone, starring Rob Lowe, through his production company Blackjack Films.
Executive producers include Bill Bost, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
In addition, we’ve learned that Phil Abraham will direct episodes in the new series. Mad Men, The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, Sons of Anarchy, and The Walking Dead are just a few of the projects that the multi-Emmy nominated and winning director has worked on.
What is the story of Utap about?
True Lies, a 1994 action/comedy film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Arnold, Bill Paxton, Art Malik, and Tia Carrere, was the inspiration for the series. A “global spy adventure” is how the series is described
For years, a father and daughter worked as CIA operatives, but each kept their involvement hidden from the other, resulting in their entire relationship being based on a massive lie. After learning of each other’s CIA involvement, the two are forced to work together as partners and learn who each other really is against the backdrop of explosive action and espionage.
Cast members of Utap
We still only have Arnold Schwarzenegger and actress Monica Barbaro listed as cast members, despite the fact that the film was announced extremely early. The roles are still unnamed, but they will portray a father-daughter relationship.
“I’m always interested in doing different things,” Schwarzenegger said at The Arnold Sports Festival, referring to the news that he’d soon be jetting up to Vancouver and filming his first scripted series: “I’m always interested in doing different things.”
The shooting will take place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It’s set to begin filming on May 2nd, 2022, and run through the summer, according to production listings seen by What’s on Netflix. The filming schedule is subject to change.