Arnold Schwarzenegger to Debut as Novelist With James Patterson

Arnold Schwarzenegger is adding one more title to a famously long résumé: novelist. The actor, former California governor and seven-time Mr. Olympia is co-writing a thriller with James Patterson called “The Protector,” due Oct. 4, 2027, from Little, Brown and Company, PEOPLE reported on Tuesday, Oct. 6, in an exclusive cover reveal. Publishers Weekly reported the same day that Little, Brown acquired North American rights to the book, which marks Schwarzenegger’s fiction debut.

The setting is Los Angeles. According to the publisher’s description quoted by Publishers Weekly, the novel is set in present-day Los Angeles and follows Father Viktor Brennan, a Catholic priest and military veteran new to a small parish plagued by violence. The official synopsis says Brennan “confronts the criminals threatening the community he’s vowed to protect, even as his courageous actions endanger his life, and reveal clues to his mysterious past.” PEOPLE reports that the publisher is billing the book as “a thrill ride with a fascinating new hero.”

The hero’s faith comes from the authors themselves. The protagonist “is inspired in part by the authors’ shared Catholic background,” the publisher told Publishers Weekly. Schwarzenegger expanded on that in a statement to PEOPLE. “I grew up Catholic, I went to church, went to Catholic school, I learned the bible and my catechisms,” he said. “And from those days I remember a phrase that is relevant today: A servant’s heart. It means something larger than yourself.”

Patterson, whom PEOPLE calls a prolific author, sounded unsurprised that his new partner wanted to try fiction. “Arnold has had about five careers already. I figured novelist was overdue,” he told PEOPLE. “You don’t have to spend much time with Arnold to realize he’s a storyteller. He knows what makes a hero interesting, what makes a villain dangerous and how to keep an audience entertained.”

The pair also talked about what makes a thriller work. “Our villains must be worthy opponents,” Patterson told the magazine. “The reader has to believe that the bad guy is fascinating enough, clever enough, and bad enough to defeat our hero.” Schwarzenegger said the hero has a job too: to be believable and to be entertaining, as PEOPLE paraphrased him. He added that the idea is not new. “This is a story I’ve had in my mind for decades,” Schwarzenegger said. “And I finally found the man to turn my vision into words on a page.”

Publishers Weekly listed the people behind the deal. Denise Roy at Little, Brown acquired the book, while Albert Lee at United Talent Agency represented Patterson and Byrd Leavell, also at UTA, represented Schwarzenegger. PEOPLE notes that this is the first collaboration between the two. Patterson has made a habit of high-profile co-authors, working with names from Dolly Parton to MrBeast, according to PEOPLE, and ComingSoon adds that his past partners include Bill Clinton and Viola Davis.

Both reports describe the release the same way. PEOPLE gives the exact date of Oct. 4, 2027, while Publishers Weekly lists the release as October 2027, and PEOPLE says the novel is already available for preorder. Neither outlet has reported a page count or plans for a screen version, so for now “The Protector” is simply a book on the calendar for next fall. For more celebrity and publishing headlines, visit our Daily News page.

Verification: The title, premise, publisher, release timing and the authors’ quotes come from PEOPLE (Oct. 6); the rights acquisition, agents and publisher description come from Publishers Weekly (Oct. 6). ComingSoon’s Oct. 6 report, which cites PEOPLE, supports the details on Patterson’s past co-authors.