We’ve been talking for YEARS around The Movie Blog about the future of Conan The Barbarian. It has been in development hell for a LONG time. But now it appears there is movement on the Conan front. Movieweb says:
Millennium Films has acquired the rights to Robert E. Howard’s mythical conqueror. Fredrik Malmberg, president and CEO of Paradox Entertainment, chose Millennium after winning the rights from Warner Brothers last spring. His aim is to get the film into production by next spring.
This will be the biggest production Millennium has ever mounted. The film is being put together on a very tight timetable. Many big names have worked on the Conan The Barbarian script over at Warner Brothers these past seven, including Larry and Andy Wachowski, John Milius, and Robert Rodriguez. Boaz Yakin wrote the last known version to come out of that studio. But all of their hard work is being scrapped. Malmberg and Millennium are staring over with a completely fresh screenplay.
I love the Conan character and that whole world in which he lives. I’m a total sucker for fantasy films (I’ve even actually… and you’re going to laugh at me… been thinking about playing a good old fashioned game of D&D in the near future. Crap I haven’t played that game in like 15 years. Anyway… end of tangent), and I’ve been excited about seeing more adventures from the big man in animal loin cloth. BUT…
As I’ve also always said… it MUST NOT be Arnold. Move on from Arnold. Arnold is too old and out of shape (by his standards) to reprise Conan the King. Just let that whole idea go (which I’m sure they have… at least I hope so). Get a new guy in there, and give us Conan again. I mean for goodness sake, all Arnold did was grunt and yell “GGAAAAAAA!!!” a couple of times. Not hard to replace.
I will not watch this movie if Arnold doesn’t play the part. He is the perfect age because king conan is older. I think it is rediculous to redo the whole cast with new actors. They should even use some of the sound track from the original conan. (not all of it, maybe remix it but make it familiar). The movies biggest fans would be those who remember seeing the original. Just like LOR, what made it so enjoyable was that I knew bilbo bagins and gandolf from the childrens book and record I had as a child. It will be the same for Conan. If I don’t recognise him (Arnold) the whole movie will loose me as a fan.
WWE wrestler John Cena looks the part. He just needs to be a little taller. Whoever they choose for the roll, they need to stay true to Howard’s Conan.
Better yet, they can actually use an ACTOR.
John Cena is not an actor. Being in a few movies PRODUCED by the WWE does not make you an actor.
Killing Thusa Doom is just like killing Osama Bin Ladin! You can learn from Conan the Barbarian to end war with Al Quada? Just take advice from Robert E. Howard, who wrote Conan the Barbarian Books. To end the world with wars and suffering, we need person like Conan to bring peace to the world!
the original Conan was pure artistic screen magic. The reletively unknown actors were more believable then any other major film stars could ever try to be. If the rumors are true and they are redoing the original masterpiece, I fear it will be a waste of time and money for the old fans. To do it right I hope they will imitate that which worked and captured the heart and minds of men to this day. Keep it real. Though the comics made Conan a blabber mouth, the original movie truly captured how a heroic barbarian is a man of few words and who’s actions speak louder. Keeping the fight scenes believeable and brutaly real, this should not be pg-13 and Jackie Chan should not be writing the stunts. Stay away from cgi crap! Trick photography and puppetry make Mr. Jones into a snake and shows how a barbarian handles a 30′ snake. And for cryn out loud stay away from the scorpian king. thank u
triple h was born to b conan he looks like him, and he has the attitude and the machoism to play that role. you go hunny!!!!
i think triple h would be the best candidate for the role he looks like the role he is a barbarian!!!!
As long its not brad pit LOL.
If they stay closer to the Conan stories, they will need a VERY BIG actor. The character was at least a foot taller than Arnold, and a lot more muscular. Massive is the operative word here. It will be interesting to see who they get. They need to do a casting call and stop limiting themselves to established actors. This part calls for a bodybuilder obviously, but with no accent. Maybe they could film it like “Lord of the Rings” and make him LOOK like a giant. Something to think about. Remember, Conan has BLUE eyes and his kin were, according to Howard, the ancestors of the Scottish Highlanders, so definitely a Celtic or Gaelic connection.
your idea for the actor to play the roles suck!
vin disel & the rock what a joke! the first conan wicked awesome the destroyer 2nd film blows. its not the as is much it being the writers & directors that make great It can be a no named actor as long as he fits the part. what you guys going to say to play conan brad pitt, bruce willis give me a break! just make sure hes believable some actor skills & a bad ass! CONAN RULES DONT F UP A GREAT THING!!! NO GOOF BALL WRESTLERS or GIANT IDIOTS. CONAN WAS THE FIRST MOVIE I SAW AT A THEATHER & IT WAS DRIVE IN I WAS 8 YEARS OLD. GREATEST MOVIE Experience.
Who they got poseing in movie poster tease?
Triple H will be the next Conan most likely. I f you are a wrestling fan you will notice Triple H was dressed almost like Conan so I do believe this is kinda a hint that he will be the next Conan , it is also widely rumored.
What! Are you mad? Arnold is 60 years old.
Time to try something new. Some inventive like….
going back to the original stories that inspired all of this.
After watching listening to the director on the dvd I have to say that John Millius did a very good job for a few keys reasons. I think that these reasons would be lost on any current direction. John tried to make the whole story believable and tried to make it appear as if it could have happened in our own ancient history. He tried to make it more historical than fantasy which is why it was such a better movie than Conan the Destroyer (one of many reasons). I am afraid that anything they make nowdays will be the same old rehashed garbage they feed to the masses like anything else because they know I will still pay to see it. I would still like to see Arnold as Conan. The aged king would still be a good role for him. After all they picked Arnold as the actor before they picked the movie for him to star in.
I think Vin Diesel would be a good fit. I first thought that Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson might be a good fit, but no offence to him, I just don’t think he’s right for this role.
Unfortunately, I doubt this movie will be any good, but maybe they can pull it off. There’s a lot of potential for this movie to be good, but with all the crap from Hollywood these days when it comes to the #3 films, I’m not gonna hold my breath.
What about Tyler Mane (X-Men, Halloween) as Conan. I would go to see that!
I don’t think the rock or triple H would be good for that part. If any wrestler that would suit the role it would be Batista and for a non wrestler how bout Vin Desil
Boo for using a “Destroyer” era picture, but yeah, Arnold is crazy ripped.
There are so many things to admire about the original Conan the Barbarian. Arnold plays his role perfectly, but the extravagant set design, costumes and frightening villains were what made the movie so compelling. I wish Mako were still alive to reprise his role (really an ageless character, and integral to the whole thing). Arnold should make some sort of cameo. Perhaps he can play King Osric. Hell, get Von Sydow back again. Or just use his old footage.
My big fear is that they ratchet up the “fantasy” side of things and do too much CGI. Whoever plays Conan, I hope it’s a new face – ideally a foreigner we don’t know much about. The Rock would be a terrible choice. He’s good at light action or tongue in cheek comedy, but I don’t see him being able to display the rage needed to make Conan work.
I’d say hire Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to play Conan. He can play roles like this. We’ve seen that.
Goddamn, Arnold looks ripped to shreds in that pic.
conan is one of my all-time movies ever, the problem this movie is going to have is whether it’s going to speak the truth or just be a commericalzed movie
oliver stone’s script was to me a masterwork of revenge and overall truth to life. i still repeat the riddle of steel scene til this day. without a good script and a good director this new movie WILL become pathfinder 2 simple as that