Schwarzenegger Gets a Villian for 'Last Stand'

While making news earlier with this Twitter pic featuring himself, Sylvester Stallone, and Bruce Willis on The Expendables 2 set, Arnold Schwarzenegger seemingly wanted double the headlines today.

Variety reports Eduardo Noreiga (Blackthorn) has been cast as the main villain in the Arnold's comeback action film, Last Stand.

To be helmed by Korean director Kim-Jee Woon (I Saw the Devil) and distributed by Lionsgate, Last Stand tells the story of a small town Sheriff (Schwarzenegger) and his police force who must stop an escaped drug lord (Noreiga) and his army cartel from passing through the U.S.-Mexican border (read below for the film's full synopsis).

Peter Stormare, Rodrigo Santoro, Zach Gilford and Jaimie Alexander also star in the flick, scheduled to be released January 13th, 2013.  Filming begins October 20th in New Mexico.

'Last Stand' marks the return of Arnold Schwarzenegger in his first starring role in over a decade as Sheriff Owens, a man who has resigned himself to a life of fighting what little crime takes place in sleepy border town Sommerton Junction after leaving his LAPD post following a bungled operation that left him wracked with failure and defeat after his partner was crippled. After a spectacular escape from an FBI prisoner convoy, the most notorious, wanted drug kingpin (Noriega) in the hemisphere is hurtling toward the border at 200 mph in a specially outfitted car with a hostage and a fierce army of gang members.

He is headed, it turns out, straight for Summerton Junction, where the whole of U.S. law enforcement will have their last opportunity to make a stand and intercept him before he slips across the border forever. At first reluctant to become involved, and then counted out because of the perceived ineptitude of his small town force, Owens ultimately accepts responsibility for one of the most daring face offs in cinema history.

Source: Variety