Arnold Schwarzenegger has returned to Hungary. The Hollywood action legend was spotted by fans in Budapest, and reports suggest he has not come as a tourist this time either: the Terminator star is back in the Hungarian capital to film a new international production.
The seven-time Mr Olympia winner, film star and former Governor of California has long expressed his fondness for Hungary, where he maintains several close friendships. Over the decades, he has visited Budapest on numerous occasions, and his latest return has once again drawn considerable attention, not least because the 78-year-old actor shows no sign of retiring from the screen.
What is Arnold Schwarzenegger filming in Budapest?
According to Hungarian tabloid Blikk, Schwarzenegger has arrived in the country to work on an upcoming Amazon MGM Studios production. The film, titled The Kelly’s, began shooting in spring 2026, with several Budapest locations featuring in the production. Details remain tightly under wraps, and no official information has been released about Schwarzenegger’s role.
While the studio has yet to reveal the full storyline, industry reports suggest the film boasts a significant international cast, including Liam Hemsworth. The plot is said to centre on the Kelly family, a long-established police dynasty, whose youngest member — a rookie officer played by Hemsworth — becomes entangled in a terrorist conspiracy. Schwarzenegger is believed to portray his father, a seasoned detective.
Such a role would hardly be unusual for Schwarzenegger, who recently appeared in Netflix’s successful series Fubar in a similarly themed dynamic alongside Monica Barbaro. In the action-comedy, he played Luke Brunner, forced to collaborate with his on-screen daughter Emma — portrayed by Barbaro — after both discover they are CIA agents who have concealed the truth from one another for years.
A longstanding connection with Hungary
Budapest is far from unfamiliar territory for Schwarzenegger. He first worked in Hungary during the filming of Red Heat in 1988 and has since returned repeatedly for various projects. Among his most notable recent engagements was the production of Terminator: Dark Fate, for which he spent an extended period in the Hungarian capital.
Over the years, Schwarzenegger has frequently shared glimpses of his time in Budapest on social media, often posting from local restaurants, gyms and city landmarks. He has also developed close ties with Hungarian stunt performers and film professionals. This was evident last year when he sent a video message to a Hungarian stuntman friend with whom he has collaborated for decades — a gesture that resonated widely in both the national press and among fans.
Budapest remains a Hollywood favourite
Schwarzenegger’s return is further proof that Budapest continues to serve as a key hub for the international film industry. In recent years, a string of major Hollywood productions has been filmed in Hungary, with global stars becoming regular visitors to the capital.
Over the past year alone, Budapest has hosted Zendaya, Kit Harington — best known as Jon Snow in Game of Thrones — Kiefer Sutherland of Designated Survivor, Travis Fimmel of Vikings and Warcraft fame, as well as celebrity couple Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner, who reportedly spent a romantic day in the city, enjoying the discretion of a restaurant whose staff left them undisturbed. Hunger Games star Josh Hutcherson even celebrated on Budapest’s streets after Péter Magyar’s election victory.
Click for more celebrity-related articles of ours.
