110 replies to this topic

[XC]

'Conan' Script is Getting a Rewrite - Cinematical

Despite being one of the most beloved characters in the sword and sorcery genre, I can't help thinking that the reboot of Conan the Barbarian might be doomed -- I mean, it has been almost a whole year since news of a bidding war first surfaced, and after endless casting speculation we find out that now the script is suffering through a few growing pains of its own. IGN spoke with Nu Image/Millennium Films and they said that writers Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer have just started their "contractually obligated" rewrite of the script.

There is still no word on a director yet, but IGN reports that "The filmmakers are still talking to some directors but expect to engage more of them once they have a screenplay everyone is happy with." At one point everyone from Rob Zombie to John McTiernan was attached to the project, but nothing ever panned out -- could that have been the sign of a bad script that wasn't getting any better? But, for fans that are eager for the northern barbarian to get a makeover, all is not lost. IGN reports that the studio is planning on getting the production moving "sooner rather than later" in hopes of capitalizing on the popularity of the new MMORPG, Age of Conan - Hyborian Adventures -- that is if they can ever find someone to direct or star in the film.

Conan is expected to arrive in theaters sometime in 2009.

[PredaBot]

Äsch. Vad synd. Hade gärna sett en Conan-film.

[XC]

Robert Rodriguez Producing Conan As Well As Red Sonja?! « FirstShowing.net

We're currently live at the Comic-Con panel for Red Sonja with Robert Rodriguez, Rose McGowan, and Doug Aarniokoski and have an exciting new update for fans! A few weeks ago we officially announced that Rodriguez would be producing a Red Sonja movie with McGowan starring and Robert's ex-second unit director Douglas Aarniokoski directing. Robert and Rose's discussion, which focused on how all three of them have been huge fans of Robert E. Howard's work for ages, eventually touched briefly on the upcoming Conan movie. Rodriguez mention that details have already spilled about Conan (read more about that here) and that he might either produce or direct that movie as well in combination with Red Sonja. If you're unfamiliar with these two stories, they come from Howard's same universe.

Over the last year, various directors have been rumored to be involved on the Conan movie, from Hitman's Xavier Gens to Rob Zombie. However, it sounds like since Red Sonja and Conan are so similar, that Rodriguez might produce and Doug Aarniokoski might direct both the Conan and Red Sonja movies, which definitely makes both of these a lot more exciting as back-to-back features! This isn't officially confirmed nor announced by any studio, but Rodriguez said that it will probably happen. And if you need any encouragement, Aarniokoski explained that Red Sonja is "going to be unlike anything you've seen, that is for sure!" With the enthusiasm I'm hearing from McGowan and Rodriguez during this panel, I'm actually excited to hear this news and hope that they can show us how awesome the Conan universe could be!

[XC]

New Writers Rework Conan

Dirk Blackman and Howard McCain have been hired to rework the script for Conan--as in "The Barbarian"--for Lionsgate, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The writing team's action-adventure screenplay Amazon, meanwhile, is heading for Lionsgate as well, the trade paper reported. It's an epic about female warriors to which Scarlett Johansson has been attached.

Director searches are under way for both.

Chief executive and president of Paradox Entertainment Fredrik Malmberg is producing the Conan film with Boaz Davidson, Joe Gatta and Avi Lerner of Millennium Films.

Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer (Sahara) wrote earlier drafts of the film, a potential resurrection of the classic warrior created by Robert E. Howard in dozens of pulp stories published in the 1930s. In 1982, Oliver Stone and John Milius wrote a bloody adaptation, which Milius also directed, that starred Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Lionsgate hopes to reboot the Conan feature universe to produce a new, post-millennial franchise by going back to Howard's original stories, with the idea to create a $100 million R-rated origin film, the largest production to date for Lionsgate and Millennium.

[Cartman]

Okej, inga kända namn direkt men det behöver ju inte betyda att dom inte klarar av uppgiften.

[PredaBot]

Jag är hoppfull. Tror nog att det kan gå ihop. Visionen av en Conan mer trogen Howard's historier finns ju verkligen där.

Red Sonja är man ju lite fundersam på, kommer dom verkligen att vara trogen dom ursprungliga serierna från Marvel? ( Red Sonja är inte riktigt en riktig Howard-skapelse, mer en hybrid och omskapelse av Marvels duktiga författare på 70-talet)

[Cartman]

Dread Central - Exclusive: Brett Ratner Considering Conan?

Wed, 09/17/2008

While this may not be horror in the strictest sense, sometimes some news comes along that just makes your stomach turn and you have to get it out there.

We got word today that Nu Image is offering the long-awaited new Conan movie to, of all people, Brett Ratner. Over the years there have been so directors circling this project, everyone from Robert Rodriguez to Rob Zombie, the fact that Brett Ratner might actually attach himself to this and make it a reality is almost enough to make one wish they’d just stop trying to bring Robert E. Howard’s creation back to the big screen.

We’ll wait until we get some more solid details on this before giving up completely, but if Ratner does get it, I think it’ll be pretty clear that Nu Image doesn’t give a single hell what the fans want to see from a new Conan movie. How could they possibly think he'd be able to do a movie like this any justice? What films has he directed that indicate this would be a good fit?

[Cartman]

First Showing - So Brett Ratner Will Be Killing Conan After All?

October 17, 2008
Source: Ain't It Cool

We've heard rumors left and right about the proposed Conan movie slated for sometime in 2009, but so far no one has ever stepped up to the plate. AICN confirms today that Brett Ratner will officially be taking the reigns on what (I now predict) will be a big flop. How does this guy still get hired to direct big budget movies? I know I didn't give any of my money to Rush Hour 3, did you? I don't think I need to explain what Conan is all about anymore. As a reminder, Lionsgate announced in August two new writers, Dirk Blackman and Howard McCain, who scripted the still unreleased Outlander Viking sci-fi movie.

Instead of even mentioning that 1982 Arnold Schwarzenegger movie, Lionsgate is going all the way back to Robert E. Howard's pulp stories first published in the 1930s. This isn't a remake, it's a reboot, if even that. It's supposed to be a $100 million R-rated origin film, which in theory sounds like a great idea. But in the hands of Brett Ratner, it's going to be a $100 million pile of crap. My excitement grew ever so slightly when Robert Rodriguez let it slip that he was potentially producing this Conan movie because Red Sonja, his project with Rose McGowan, was so closely related. However, I've lost all hope, if this is indeed true.

[PredaBot]

...

Ja...

Vad säger man...?

Brett Ratner är ett stolpskott. Bravo... ännu ett otroligt bra varumärke förstört av honom.

Jippie...

Någon bör omedelbart ta in Grodan hit så att han får säga sin mening, för det här kan han väl inte tycka är bra??

[Cartman]

Det lär väl knappast vara någon/många som kan tycka att det beslutet är bra?

[Kermit]

Ja, nu är grodan här! Brett Ratner är väl en habil regissör, knappast genomusel men långtifrån bra heller. Det ger ju inte direkt hopp om en komplex och djup Conan-film i alla fall. Fast jag har aldrig varit så insatt i Conan, så det är sak samma för mig nästan. Och kan Michael Bay mot alla odds göra en Transformers som så många på något sätt älskar så kanske Ratner kan lyckas med Conan också...?

[Georgia]

Ratner To Direct New Conan
Brett Ratner has chosen to direct a 21st-century reboot of Conan, based on Robert E. Howard's original pulp stories, instead of a fourth Beverly Hills Cop installment, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Nu Image/Millennium and Lionsgate Films will produce the new Conan. As of Nov. 7, Ratner committed to take on literature's most famous barbarian and is in final negotiations to helm the picture, which is aiming for a release in early 2010.

Joshua Oppenheimer and Thomas Dean Donnelly wrote the Conan script, based on Howard's original 1930s character. The writers are doing a quick polish to incorporate some of Ratner's ideas.

Millennium and Lionsgate reportedly envision a very R-rated approach in the $85 million budget range. Preproduction is under way for a shoot at Nu Image's Nu Boyana Studio in Bulgaria.

The story opens on the battlefield where Conan is born and tells the origin story that sets the stage for what will be the first of multiple films.

[PredaBot]

En liten polering för att tillfredställa Ratner... --__-- Das ist ja NICHT gut!

[Georgia]

Brett Ratner Upset Over "Conan" Announcement at WorstPreviews™

[Georgia]

di.se - Nya Conan-miljoner till svenska Paradox

Millennium Films förlänger sin option för att göra filmer med filmhjälten och seriefiguren Conan. För svenska Paradox Entertainment som äger rättigheterna till karaktären innebär det nya miljoner.
Millennium Films option gäller nu till november 2009 och för det har Paradox Entertainment fått 500.000 dollar, motsvarande drygt 4 miljoner kronor.

Enligt Paradox Entertainment pågår förberedelser inför filmatiseringen för fullt i Millennium Films studio i Bulgarien. Men ännu saknas en regissör, och även andra nyckelroller, till filminspelningen som planeras dra igång i sommar.

Filmen beräknas få en budget på runt 100 miljoner dollar. Tidigare var förhoppningen att inspelningen av filmen skulle börja under 2008 och ha premiär i sommar.

Att projektet skjuts på framtiden har dock hänt flera gånger tidigare. Filmbolaget Warner hade tidigare rättigheterna till att göra filmen under flera år men kom aldrig till skott. 2007 tröttnade Paradox Entertainment på att vänta och optionen såldes då istället till Millennium Films för en miljon dollar, drygt 8 miljoner kronor med dagens växlingskurs. Millennium Films står bakom bland annat den fjärde Rambo-filmen som hade premiär förra året.

Den senaste filmen om Conan kom 1984 och barbaren gestaltades då av ingen mindre än Arnold Schwarzenegger, numera guvernör i Kalifornien.

Paradox Entertainments aktie har haft det tufft den senaste tiden. Den handlas på First North och kostar nu drygt tre kronor jämfört med över 9,5 kronor i maj förra året.

Paradox Entertainment vill inte lämna några kommentarer då bolaget släpper sin rapport nästa vecka.

[Georgia]

Empire: Movie News - Exclusive: Brett Ratner Off Conan?
Director has timing conflicts

Empire magazine spoke to Conan and Red Sonja producer Joe Gatta today, and he had a few revelations to share about the upcoming films. Most importantly, it appears that Brett Ratner is currently off Conan, which he was expected to direct.

"We’re currently in the process of hiring a director," he told us. "For the past six months we were discussing the movie with Brett Ratner, and for more timing issues than anything else we had to part ways with Brett. We all wanted him to do it, believe me; just the timing didn’t work. But you never know what can happen."

That last comment would appear to leave the door open for a return for Ratner, should his schedule free up (he's currently got about 12 films on his To Do list) but for the moment he's off the project. Still, that hasn't dented Gatta's determination.

"We have a potential start-date on Conan of August 24. And we’ll be shooting in Bulgaria. I would say though the emphasis is on Conan [rather than Red Sonja]. It’s our crown jewel here at the company and that will be the leader. Red Sonja probably won’t happen until next year, as far as making it goes. So we want to launch Conan and reinvent the franchise."

As for the hiring of Conan himself, you might want to start pumping some serious iron: Gatta says that, "We’ll have an open casting call: as soon as we hire our director the search is on."

With luck, between Conan and Red Sonja, this could be a brave new dawn for the horny-helmet genre, restoring it to its rightful place at the top of the movie pantheon, crushing its enemies, seeing them driven before it and hearing the lamentations of their women.

For more revelations about Conan and Red Sonja, pick up the next issue of Empire, on sale May 28.

[XC]

Nu är det klart med en ny regissör. Marcus Nispel heter den lycklige som tydligen har erfarenheter av remakes sedan tidigare.

"Nispel will make Conan his third remake, after The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Friday the 13th." — Källa

Tidigare så har bla Neil Marshall varit påtänkt för uppdraget. (Det hade kunnat blivit ganska intressant f.ö.).

Edited by XC, 12 June 2009 - 09:44.

[PredaBot]

Marcus Nispel? Marcus Nispel?? Vem i H-E är det?!

Hmm... Ni som har sett remakesen där ovan, är han en opolerad diamant som bara väntar på sin chans, eller är han ännu en medioker regissör?

[XC]

Han har tydligen regisserat ett antal musikvideos också...

Chers "Walking in Memphis" bland annat.

[dukeofnewyork]

Jag har bara sett TCM remaken, men den är rätt stabil och efter vad jag förstår är F13-remaken inte oäven den heller. Nispel är knappast någon oslipad diamant utan en stabil om än medioker regissör. Med andra ord, hän lär varken "sänka" eller "höja" Conan. Ingen anledning till oro alltså. Iofs inte jubel heller...

[Wylie Times]

Jag vill också minna att TCM remaken var rätt ok.

Sen har Nispel gjort Pathfinder också som ser ganska risig ut. Men jag har inte sett den.

Edited by Wylie Times, 12 June 2009 - 13:57.

[XC]

Det här är bara för bra för att inte postas. Enl Sci-fi Wire så är Lionsgate och Nu Image/Millennium i förhandlingar med en kille som tros vara den som man vill skall spela Conan.

Österikare.
F.d. Bodybuilder.
Spelade Robot i Terminator.

Nej, otroligt nog så är det inte frågan om Guvernator utan Roland Kickinger. (Så OK, han spelade i 4an - men den borde väl räknas den också). Som ren bonus så spelade killen dessutom självaste Schwarzenegger i filmen See Arnold Run från 2005.

Missa dessutom inte Sci-fi Wires roliga rubrik:

Stop us if you've heard this: Austrian bodybuilder may play Conan | SCI FI Wire

Är det sådant här som kallas och spela med säkra kort?

Edited by XC, 19 June 2009 - 07:54.

[Loch Lomond]

Haha, det är ju Chip Rommel i Son Of The Beach!

[PredaBot]

Han som spelade Arnold i nån film om hans liv?? Det var som fabian... Har för mig han sa i nån bakom-kullisserna grej att Arnold var hans största idol...

Det här måste väl vara en dröm som går i uppfyllelse för han då, kan jag tänka mig? Hade gärna sett en kille som är lite mer av en skådis, men nåja, ett så stort Arnie-fan som han verkar vara, så är det svårt att missunna honom den här chansen.

[Cartman]

Trist. Mina förväntningar sjönk som en sten när jag läste vem som fått uppdraget. Remaken av TCM och Pathfinder är inget annat än två besvikelser i mina ögon. Har inte sett senaste F13 än men jag har inga större förväntningar där heller. Bara att hoppas att han kan bevisa för mig att jag har fel.