The Arnold Schwarzenegger Epic That Never Was: How a Studio-Killing Flop Ruined ‘Crusade’ Forever

For years, moviegoers have dreamed of seeing Arnold Schwarzenegger wield a broadsword once again in a film set in an epic, war-torn historical backdrop. Since his breakout roles in Conan the Barbarian and Conan the Destroyer, the clamor for a return to the sword-and-sorcery genre never seemed to wane. But perhaps the most ambitious of these potential projects was Crusade, a historical war epic directed by Paul Verhoeven that would have seen Schwarzenegger in the role of a legendary warrior in the late 11th century. Sadly, this would-be blockbuster never came to fruition due to a combination of financial mismanagement, a disastrous box office flop, and an ill-fated studio decision that ultimately derailed the project.

At the height of his career, Schwarzenegger was riding high from his success in action films such as Total Recall and Basic Instinct. Verhoeven, fresh off the success of their previous collaboration, was eager to team up with the Austrian Oak once more. Together, they envisioned a gritty epic, set during the Crusades, where Schwarzenegger’s character would rise through the ranks to become the King of Jerusalem, only to abandon the throne to settle down with his love in peace. It was an enticing and bold concept, with the potential to showcase a new dimension of Schwarzenegger’s acting, going beyond the typical action hero roles he was known for.

However, despite the talent behind the film, Crusade faced an insurmountable obstacle. Production company Carolco Pictures, already struggling with financial woes, had to choose between funding Crusade or another ambitious project—Cutthroat Island, a pirate adventure starring Geena Davis. In a decision that would prove disastrous, Carolco chose Cutthroat Island, hoping to capitalize on the genre’s popularity. The studio ultimately made what would be considered one of the most expensive mistakes in Hollywood history.

Directed by Renny Harlin, Cutthroat Island turned out to be one of the biggest box office bombs of all time, earning only a fraction of its $100 million budget. The failure of the pirate film resulted in Carolco’s bankruptcy and its eventual closure. Ironically, Paul Verhoeven had been offered the chance to direct Cutthroat Island but had turned it down in favor of Crusade, a project that he and Schwarzenegger had both deeply invested in. Verhoeven later reflected on the studio’s decision as a “terrible choice,” and he wasn’t wrong. The financial disaster that was Cutthroat Island caused Carolco to collapse under the weight of its losses, leaving Crusade forever unrealized.

For Schwarzenegger, Crusade remains one of his greatest unmade projects. The film had the potential to be one of the most expansive and daring roles of his career, moving away from his typical action-star persona and into a character-driven narrative that explored themes of leadership, sacrifice, and love. Verhoeven’s strong directorial vision paired with Schwarzenegger’s undeniable screen presence could have made for a classic.

Instead, the film never saw the light of day, and Crusade became another “what could have been” in the storied career of one of Hollywood’s most iconic action stars. Schwarzenegger’s decision to take on more straightforward action roles in the years following Total Recall and Basic Instinct is understandable, given the massive success of those films. However, Crusade remains a tantalizing “lost epic,” a film that could have defined a new phase in Schwarzenegger’s career—one that took him beyond the sword-and-sorcery and into the world of grand historical drama.

In the end, the tragic downfall of Crusade is not just the result of one bad decision, but the culmination of a series of missteps by Carolco Pictures. While Cutthroat Island crashed and burned spectacularly, it ultimately left behind a legacy of “what ifs” for fans of Schwarzenegger and Verhoeven. Both men went on to more success, but Crusade remains an unfinished project, leaving fans to wonder what might have been—had one catastrophic studio decision not derailed what could have been Arnold Schwarzenegger’s most ambitious and meaningful film.