Speaking to Polygon for the 30th anniversary release of Eraser, director Chuck Russell revealed that before he and Schwarzenegger teamed up for the 1996 action thriller, the pair were developing an ambitious reboot of Captain Blood, based on the novel by Rafael Sabatini. Arnold was far more committed to the idea than fans might expect.
"We had a wonderful script for Captain Blood that Warners was interested in doing," Russell said. "It was a different kind of Captain Blood."
The classic pirate character, famously played by Errol Flynn in the 1935 adventure film, wasn't an obvious fit for Schwarzenegger, whose hits skewed more modern. At the time, Arnold was still one of Hollywood's biggest stars, coming off a run that included Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Last Action Hero, and James Cameron's superspy spectacle. Yet Russell believed there was room for a pirate epic built around Schwarzenegger's larger-than-life screen presence — even after the disaster of 1995’s Cutthroat Island.
"There was a conversation about Arnold in tights," Russell recalled with a laugh. "And I said Arnold would not be in tights. I had a painting done of him in leather pants that looked super cool." You can see artist Morgan Weistling’s original concept art below.
The project originated after Russell's breakout success directing The Mask, and saw him team up with his longtime collaborator, screenwriter Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, The Mist), on a new take for Captain Blood.
"Arnold wanted me to direct his next film because he loved The Mask," Russell said. "[Captain Blood] was definitely a fun action movie. Very similar in tone to what Pirates of the Caribbean eventually became."
But while Captain Blood slowly worked its way through development, another project suddenly gained momentum. Schwarzenegger brought Russell the screenplay for Eraser, and Warner Bros. was eager to move forward immediately.
"Eraser was a movie that wanted to happen and wanted to happen right now," Russell said. "Captain Blood was slow development at the time."
As for why the pirate adventure never made it to sea, Russell admitted there was no single culprit.
"It's so complicated. I can't put it on any one person," he said. "Those were both big-budget movies, and everything has to be aligned perfectly to get the green light and move ahead. I was passionate about that project, but that's the business."
Instead, Schwarzenegger traded a sword for railguns, alligators, and parachutes in Eraser. But we can still dream of him with a cutlass and tights… er, leather pants.
Check back for more on Russell’s experience directing Eraser later this week on Polygon.
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