Arnold Schwarzenegger is set to make his debut in a starring dramatic role on the small screen, playing a grizzled, ruthless federal marshal in a western series being developed for Amazon.

The series, called Outrider, is set in Indian territory in the late 1800s. According to Deadline, the former governor of California will both produce and star in a tale in which a deputy (actor not yet known) is tasked with capturing an outlaw and, with the aid of Schwarzenegger's marshal, bringing him to justice.

The pair will start as foes but become allies over the course of the story.

The news comes as Amazon also revealed plans for a Conan the Barbarian series. Though there is no official news of Schwarzenegger's involvement in the reboot of a franchise whose 1982 film gave him his first major hit as an actor (the 1977 documentary Pumping Iron had already made him a niche star), imdb lists The Legend of Conan among his upcoming projects.

It is unclear if this is the same project, however.  

It may be no more than wishful thinking, but fan site thearnoldfans.com has speculated the Austrian-born actor could perhaps appear in the Amazon series as the older Conan, reflecting upon tales from his younger years, where he would necessarily be played by a younger actor.

Arnold certainly appears to be open to revisiting his legacy as he seeks to ramp up his return to the entertainment business, which got off to a bumpy start with the demise of Celebrity Apprentice, the show he inherited from Donald Trump.

Among the other projects in the pipeline are a reboot of the Terminator franchise and a sequel to the 1988 comedy Twins, in which brothers Julius (Schwarzenegger) and Vincent (Danny DeVito) Benedict discover they have a third brother, played by Eddie Murphy.  

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