FUBAR: Premiere Date, Cast And Other Things We Know About The Netflix TV Show

Arnold Schwarzenegger smoking a cigar while driving a boat in FUBAR.
(Image credit: Christos Kalohoridis/Netflix)

Throughout his career, Arnold Schwarzenegger has always found a way to find the perfect blend of thrilling action and side-splitting humor in any number of his best movies. Be it films like True Lies, Last Action Hero, or even the various installments in the Terminator franchise, “The Governator” has long been in a league of his own. Now he’s planning to bring his knack for action and laughs to the small screen with the upcoming 2023 Netflix series, FUBAR.

If this is the first you’re hearing about the new show from Reacher showrunner Nick Santora that will see Schwarznegger in a role that looks and sounds very similar to his True Lies performance, don’t worry, because we’ve got you covered. Here is everything we know about FUBAR, including its premiere date, cast and everything else you’d care to know. 

What Is The FUBAR Premiere Date?

Netflix logo

(Image credit: Netflix)

Before you know it, you’ll be able to watch Arnold Schwarzenegger kick butt and spit out one-liners like it’s 1991 all over again, as FUBAR will be available for anyone with a Netflix subscription starting May 25th. Though the episodes have yet to be released, the streamer has already made a page for the show, meaning you can go ahead and add the series to your watchlist ahead of its premiere.

Stream FUBAR on Netflix (Starting May 25th).

Arnold Schwarzenegger Leads The FUBAR Cast Alongside Monica Barbaro

Monica Barbaro and Arnold Schwarzenegger look at something off-camera with mutual concern in FUBAR.

(Image credit: Amanda Matlovich/Netflix)

When FUBAR premieres later this spring, it will feature a cast led by none other than Arnold Schwarzenegger, who will be taking on the role of CIA operative Luke Brunner, Netflix has announced. Just like Harry Tasker in James Cameron’s all-time great action movie, True Lies, Schwarzenegger’s character in FUBAR lives a double-life in which his family has no knowledge of his spy games.

Joining the cast as the 1B to Schwarzenegger’s 1A is Monica Barbaro, who will be taking on the role of his on-screen daughter, Emma Brunner. In recent years, the Top Gun: Maverick star has appeared on shows like Chicago P.D., Chicago Justice, Lethal Weapon, and Stumptown. She is also set to appear on the Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas anime series, which is supposed to come out at some point in the near future.

The rest of the cast has some heavy hitters on it, including Schwarzenegger’s Terminator: Dark Fate co-star Gabriel Luna, who’s coming off the resounding success that was The Last of Us Season 1. Other actors include Adam Pally, Jay Baruchel, Travis Van Winkle, Fortune Feimster, Milan Carter, and multiple others, according to Deadline.

The FUBAR Teaser Trailer Shows Arnold Schwarzenegger Riding Motorcycles, Shooting Guns And Smoking Cigars

Arnold Schwarzenegger walking away from a literal dumpster fire in FUBAR.

(Image credit: Christos Kalohoridis/Netflix)

Though Netflix has yet to release a full trailer for FUBAR at this time, the streaming platform did give prospective viewers a quick look at the series in the form of a brief teaser trailer that is very, very, very on-brand for Schwarzenegger. Check it out below:

As you can see (and hear), the star is doing what he does best in the short video, including smoking cigars, shooting guns, riding motorcycles, driving cars, and spitting out a one-liner – “I’m back, baby!” – that sounds like a combination of two of his famous lines from the Terminator movies. 

Expect to see a more fleshed-out trailer as we get closer to the premiere later this spring, at which time we'll update this guide with the latest video.

FUBAR Is A Spy-Action Comedy About A Father And Daughter Who Embark On A Global Mission Together

Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Last Stand

(Image credit: CJ Entertainment)

So, what is FUBAR about? Well, according to Netflix, the upcoming series will follow Schwarzenegger’s Luke and Barbaro’s Emma as they not only learn that each is actually a CIA agent but that their two assignments have a bit of a crossover. Together, the father and daughter must work together on a dangerous, high-stakes mission that will take them around the world.

FUBAR Is Arnold Schwarzenegger’s First TV Series

Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator: Dark Fate

(Image credit: Paramount)

Though he has made small one-off appearances on TV shows over the years, and even appeared in a handful of made-for-TV movies throughout his career, Schwarzenegger has never led a show of his own. Well, that all changes with FUBAR, which is the action star’s first scripted series to debut on the small screen.

When speaking with Netflix’s Tudum website ahead of the debut of the first teaser trailer, showrunner Nick Santora talked about the significance of what he called “the most surreal project” of his career, stating:

I grew up watching Arnold Schwarzenegger films –– I’d hit my dad up for a few bucks so I could race to the movies and see the biggest star in the world on the big screen –– so creating the first scripted television project for Arnold is unbelievably exciting for me. The thing I always marveled at was how Schwarzenegger could be funny while still kicking ass... that’s why I wanted FUBAR to be a hysterical, CIA-spy comedy mixed with heart-stopping action!

Oddly enough, Schwarzenegger’s first big TV project comes just months after his former box office rival, Sylvester Stallone, brought his Tulsa King series to Paramount+. Could this be the next chapter in the pair’s long-standing “feud?”

FUBAR’s First Season Will Consist Of Eight Episodes

T-800 glaring in Terminator: Dark Fate

(Image credit: Paramount Pictures)

Netflix has also announced that the first season will play out over the course of eight episodes, though the exact length of each chapter has yet to be revealed. If we use other action-comedies as an example, though, then we can expect each episode to be around 45 minutes to an hour in length. Who knows, maybe the eight-episode season will make this the next great show to binge on Netflix

The New Netflix Show Was Created By Reacher Showrunner Nick Santora

Alan Ritchson in Reacher

(Image credit: Amazon)

If you want a little hint of what to expect from FUBAR, look no further than the show’s creator, Nick Santora, who has found a tremendous amount of success on the small screen throughout his career. In addition to developing the hit Amazon original series Reacher, Santora has also worked on some of the biggest TV shows of the 21st century, including The Sopranos, Law & Order, FBI, and Prison Break

Expect to hear much more about FUBAR as we get closer to the show’s May 25th release date. In the meantime, check out CinemaBlend’s 2023 TV schedule to see what else is coming out this year.

Philip Sledge
Content Writer

Philip grew up in Louisiana (not New Orleans) before moving to St. Louis after graduating from Louisiana State University-Shreveport. When he's not writing about movies or television, Philip can be found being chased by his three kids, telling his dogs to stop barking at the mailman, or chatting about professional wrestling to his wife. Writing gigs with school newspapers, multiple daily newspapers, and other varied job experiences led him to this point where he actually gets to write about movies, shows, wrestling, and documentaries (which is a huge win in his eyes). If the stars properly align, he will talk about For Love Of The Game being the best baseball movie of all time.