Arnold Schwarzenegger is ''really looking forward'' to working on the 'Terminator: Genesis'.

The 66-year-old star was forced to step down from participating in the franchise while he was the Governor of California between 2003 - 2011, but is delighted to reprise the role he first played in 1984's 'The Terminator' in the latest film.

He explained: ''I'm really looking forward to that because as you know, the last time when they did 'The Terminator' it was when I was governor and so I couldn't be in that movie, but now I'm back again and they are very excited about having me in the film.

''The script is fantastic, so I'm really looking forward to this film.''

Schwarzenegger is preparing to begin filming in a number of locations across the US from April.

Talking at the Arnold Sports Festival​ in Columbus, website TheArnoldFans.com report he said: ''We start filming in the middle or in the end of April and it will be a four or four-and-a-half month long shoot. We will be filming it in New Orleans, with some of it in San Francisco and maybe a little of it in LA, but most of it will be done in New Orleans.''

'Terminator: Genesis' is being directed by 'Thor: The Dark World' filmmaker Alan Taylor and is set for release on July 2015.