Legend Of Conan (2014)

[Psycho Soldier]

[mr.negativity]

From AICN Aug 27, 2001:

[quote="Moriarty"]Hey, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab.


This marks the ten thousandth time since Harry started AICN out of the back bedroom of Geek Headquarters that we have asked you to give us your attention, your trust, and your time. It’s been a long strange trip so far from our end, and I personally feel like I’m still just getting the hang of things. Over the course of every story I’ve contributed, one thing has always been true: I’ve enjoyed the hell out of this, and I can’t see that changing any time soon. I love this dialogue with all of you, this ongoing daily excuse to immerse myself in films and television and books and comics and all the other objets d’art that fall under scrutiny here at the site.


This past week, Harry and I both had chances to read scripts that have been the subject of intense geek curiosity. Harry is still buried under the intense bombardment of QT5, though, and is a greedy bastich besides, willing to keep all his goodies for himself. Not me, folks. Nope. I’m on your side. Remember that when the revolution comes. Ahem. Remember who decided to share the wealth a little bit, if you know what I mean. I decided to mark this occasion, this milestone of ours, by bringing you something special, something worthy.


Something like your first look at the May 21, 2001 draft of KING CONAN, CROWN OF IRON, written by John Milius, 146 pages of Robert E. Howard-inspired carnage and treachery.


Sound good? Keep reading.


We got our first report on this title back in March of this year, and our first report about the development itself in July of last year. I remember being giddy as I typed the title out for the first time. KING CONAN, CROWN OF IRON. Just the idea that John Milius might finally make a proper sequel to his stupendous 1982 film CONAN THE BARBARIAN pleased me enormously.


Yes, yes, I know there already was a sequel. Hell, there’s a guy right now who is working to organize a petition to get CONAN THE DESTROYER released on DVD as a longer R-rated cut, complete with love scenes between Sarah (SUPERMAN II) Douglas and Arnold. You can sign his petition here!! I’m not a fan of that film, though, and when I think of CONAN, I think of two things... the original Robert E. Howard stories, and the film by John Milius.


Last July 4th, I wrote a comparison of Oliver Stone’s CONAN draft and Milius’ original movie. It was a chance to express how much I love that film, and even though I’ve seen it dozens of times since its release, it turns out I made some glaring errors in regards to plot and the film's two swords. Funny... even when you adore a film, who’s to say you’re right about everything in it? That was one of those cases where I genuinely learned from the Talk Backers, and it was obvious from the passionate responses that were posted that there’s a lot of people who feel about that film the same way I do, who love it dearly. When the special edition DVD for CONAN THE BARBARIAN was released, Milius and Arnold talk about KING CONAN and their original plans for a trilogy during the commentary track. This set off all sorts of speculation, and tracing the development of the film has become a personal mission of mine. I’ve been parched for tidbits about it, and then, all of a sudden, someone drops this script in my lap.


I’ve read it four or five times now, and each time, I put on the Basil Poledouris score for the original film and turn it up, letting the music curl around me like a blanket. Right away, just looking at the cover of the script, it’s obvious that Milius is the right man for the job, thrilled to be back and working with this character. There’s Xeroxed pages of Frank Frazetta artwork interspersed throughout the script, setting the tone perfectly, pointing at the world Milius is trying to recreate for us. If there’s any doubt about whether this is a sequel to the first film or not, the voice-over by THE WIZARD should dispel that right away. Mako’s character did the voice-over at the beginning and the end of the original movie, with his memorable, “Let me tell you of the days of hiiiiiigh adventure!â€

[mr.negativity]

From HitFix:



[quote="Moriarty"]

I want to meet Chris Morgan.

Perfect world, we could sit down over the refreshment of our choice and we could talk about Conan. Specifically, we could talk about "Conan The Barbarian," the 1982 film that Universal released, directed by John Milius and written by Milius and Oliver Stone. That film was one of the things that made Arnold Schwarzenegger a viable movie star. Before that, he was known for a few quirky appearances in film like "Stay Hungry," his charismatic appearance in "Pumping Iron," and his bodybuilding triumphs. But "Conan The Barbarian" changed things for him, and its reputation has grown over time.

I've loved the film since opening weekend, and I love running into a hardcore fan of the film. You know you've found a kindred soul when you can ask, "What is good in life?" and someone answers without hesitation, "To crush your enemies, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women." And based on the story that Deadline reported earlier this afternoon, Chris Morgan may be one of those people.

Universal Pictures is committed to developing "The Legend Of Conan," and the thing that makes this more exciting than last year's bizarre reboot attempt by Lionsgate is that Universal has Arnold Schwarzenegger returning to the role.

Now, admittedly, it's been a lot of years since Arnold made that first film, and recapturing something that you did before, in terms of tone and style, is a tricky thing. Between "Conan The Barbarian" and "Conan The Destroyer," they lost the ability to get it right, and the franchise promptly drove right into a ditch. I don't really consider "Destroyer" a sequel to the first film. In my world, they made the 1982 film, and then they never did anything else.

They came close, though. When I was at Ain't It Cool, I wrote many times about my love of the Milius movie, and for our 10,000th story, a sequel that was at that point a distinct possibility. Milius wrote it, and the Wachowskis were attached to produce for Warner Bros. It sounded like it got close to happening, but Warner ended up not making it, and the film vanished into a development morass.

I honestly believed that any chance at a final Arnold sequel, a return to the storyline established in the '82 film, had disappeared with the release of the Jason Momoa film last year. When I read the news today that Chris Morgan is going to be writing and producing, and that he's got Schwarzenegger onboard, I noticed that Fredrick Malmberg is still onboard as a producer as well. Malmberg has been involved for at least 12 years now. He was the other producer on "King Conan: Crown Of Iron," and he was the one who kept it alive at Warner Bros. for a few years, just as he was the one who eventually moved on and got the Lionsgate movie made. I've talked to Malmberg over the years, and I truly believe that he loves Conan and that he also sees the Conan property as a valuable media asset, and that his enthusiasm for the project is genuine.

In the Deadline piece, Malmberg said, "The original ended with Arnold on the throne as a seasoned warrior, and this is the take of the film we will make… It’s that Nordic Viking mythic guy who has played the role of king, warrior, soldier and mercenary, and who has bedded more women than anyone, nearing the last cycle of his life. He knows he’ll be going to Valhalla, and wants to go out with a good battle.â€

[mr.negativity]

[quote="Harry"]
Hey folks, Harry here… Early this year, I spent a couple of days on the set of THE LAST STAND, which marks the former Governor of California’s first feature film star turn. Yes, he’s had his cameos in the two EXPENDABLES films. At the time of this interview, he had shot his cameo in the second one of those, but it had yet to be released.


HK: I hate that I have never gotten to meet Milius. He’s so bigger than life. I’ve listened to every commentary he has done, read everything he has written, read every one of his drafts of unproduced scripts, all sorts of stuff… His KING CONAN was one of those that I was really rooting for, but then the rights got all weird on it.

AS: You mean the one that he wrote… The last…

HK: The older one. I actually think that would still play.

AS: I think it would be a great story, yeah.

HK: I thought it was fantastic.

AS: Now they’ve screwed it up again.

HK: People screw it up, but at the same time if the Millenium guys could get their hands on that script and get you in there to be an older Conan I think it would be magnificent. That’s what the fans wanted. It’s the reason… Momoa, who played Conan, he had the right look, but the director was this guy who didn’t understand that Conan needed to have a little bit of the Devil in him. His eyes needed to light up more, but he never really directed it to that which I thought was a shame.

AS: You’re right. You understand it or you don’t. I mean I’m sure the director did everything he could in his power or his talent, but you know you have to be born for that.



HK: How much do we love samurai films, you know? For us, I mean when Kurosawa said “I can’t make westerns, I have to make samurai moviesâ€