Ideas about a NON-Arnold Conan Movie/Miniseries

[deuce]

Well, it definitely looks like the possibility of a new Ahnuldt Conan movie is just about nil. Time to move on and speculate about the future. Obviously, all such speculation is idle, but that doesn't mean it can't be fun. Movie? Miniseries?  Momoa? Someone else?

Me, I vote for a Momoa miniseries.   


Jason is an actual REH fan and he's rising as a star.  I'd like to see the GoT team take a stab at producing it/handling the general look. Frank Darabont expressed an interest in making a true-to-REH Conan movie, as has Rodriguez -- another Howard fan. DeKnight also seems to be an REH fan. All of them could direct episodes. I think they would jump at the chance, egos be damned.  Also, bring in Roy Thomas as a major consultant, not screenwriter -- and, no, don't even start with Conan the Destroyer. RT got sidelined on that and his comics version was much better. He had to please Dino's dumb ass when he wrote the screenplay, so it was doomed from the start. Dino was obsessed with "da stick woman!" -- Grace Jones -- by the way. Go back to selling spaghetti, you Napolitano loffa.

Darabont on Howard's Conan:

www.aintitcool.com/node/60510

I've got some thoughts on Frank Miller as well.

[deuce]

Apr 6, 2017 22:44:04 GMT -5 thedarkman said:

I think the Momoa train is picking up steam, and if anyone wants to sign him on to a Conan project, they better act fast. I wouldn't blame him if he ignored any offers to reprise the role; he was the best Conan to strap on a broadsword, but the film tanked hard. If not, sign up a new talent and do NOT make yet another origin story ( Hollywood just can't make a movie without a stupid origin story!) 

Momoa is an affirmed REH fan, so I think he would still go for a quality Conan project even if he's a "big star" -- something that Ahnuldt didn't do, because he was just playing at being a Howard fan. Da Guvvanadah's commentary on CtB82 demonstrated that. No, I want 'em to grab Momoa quick because he ain't gettin' any younger, though he is aging well. 

[deuce]

For the record, this isn't the "Momoa as Conan" thread. Obviously, there are other options for who could play Conan. By all means, suggest them.

[johnnypt]

What the project needs first is someone who is a Howard fan and is in a position to get it done with quality people on board. I'd love it if DeKnight would be on board for a series. I don't care with who at this point, cable or streaming, as long as it has a decent budget and keeps greenscreen to a minimum. I know Darabont was burned the last time he worked on a series, maybe something like this would be the right remedy. Now finding am entity that would be willing to sink time and dollars into a Conan series at the moment is probably tough. But wait until Game of Thrones is over, people will be looking for the next thing.

[BlackHeart]

Me to. I often wonder what would it be if Martin, being a REH fan and all, would write a few 😶
I find all this news to good to be true. Im no pesimist and I WOULD LOVE to se Conan on small screen - done properly this time... By Crom, I would like to see even a Legend of Conan/Conan the Conqueror (only from desire that someone finaly go another step with Conan), but I, and I presume, many of us here, have some doubts on this. Thirty + years to this day they promising us many times that they go forth with the character, and we got only one crapy movie in wich only bright spot was actor that played Conan, if you dont count a disastrously bad tv show in 90s. I pray that, in the end, they wont leth us with only anounced (still unwritten) books in hand. Then again, who knows? We shall se, hopefully, some time soon does the fate will finaly smile upon REH and his creation.

[KiramidHead]

I'd welcome a miniseries or two, of 5-10 episodes. Some episodes can be based on REH stories, and some can have original plots. As long as it doesn't come out looking cheap or like it's aping 300's visual style (*cough*Spartacus*cough*), I'll be open to it.

[deuce]

Apr 7, 2017 10:18:14 GMT -5 johnnypt said:

What the project needs first is someone who is a Howard fan and is in a position to get it done with quality people on board. I'd love it if DeKnight would be on board for a series. I don't care with who at this point, cable or streaming, as long as it has a decent budget and keeps greenscreen to a minimum. I know Darabont was burned the last time he worked on a series, maybe something like this would be the right remedy. Now finding am entity that would be willing to sink time and dollars into a Conan series at the moment is probably tough. But wait until Game of Thrones is over, people will be looking for the next thing.

I've never been in love with DeKnight the way some people are, but he would be a definite improvement over the director of CtB11. I think that Momoa is going to keep moving up in popularity.  If he agreed to a Conan series/movie -- provided there was a quality team involved -- I could see that helping things move.

I also think that there will be a vacuum when GoT ends. Unfortunately, it appears that much of what people liked was the ensemble cast/soap opera plots of GoT. Any Conan series halfway true to REH simply wouldn't have that unless one were to just do an expanded QotBC or a "King Conan" arc. 

There are no easy roads ahead. There haven't been for a long time.

[BlackHeart]

That coul be done, Deuce. Take the best of two world: Base of course is the original stories, then mix them up with DC best (begining, Cimmeria, expanded Frost giant daughter etc etc), as far es QotBc goes, only Marvel version worth, and add a few well writen new ones to fil the gap, and it could be worth. All would have to be adapted, given it new take over, of course. I know this is dreeming only, but everything belong to Conan enterprises (character I mean), why then it would be a problem to do something like that?

[deuce]

As can be found in my link in the first post, director Frank Darabont was thinking of Jon Bernthal as Conan. Bernthal, known for his work in The Walking Dead, really isn't that close to my physical idea of Conan. However, I can see what Darabont was aiming for -- Conan as a big, tough guy who is also smart and crafty. I think that's cool and a long way from the clumsy, mumbling, reactive-not-proactive version we saw in the first two movies.

[almuric]

It's too bad the Nispel movie squandered the potential of a Momoa Conan. The Justice League trailer reminded me of what might have been.

[Deleted]

First Phase.
I think the best direction for Conan and the 'Worlds of Robert E. Howard' should consist of, initially in any case, a movie which is a direct adaptation of "People of the Black Circle'. The idea is to introduce the audience to the original material (no pastiche, for now) that can be followed with a couple more Conan sequels - again this all depends on the talent and commitment of those involved and obviously how successful the first movie becomes. 

Second Phase.
Introduction of Kull, Solomon Kane, Bran Mak Morn and other REH characters, all must be direct adaptations.

This is a good opportunity to create the Robert E. Howard Cinematic Universe. 

During this time, all the original REH yarns must be available - I'm not talking about the Del Rey editions - they are really aimed at hardcore Robert E. Howard fans. If you want to expand the audience, the new volumes will have to be eye catching (I'm talking about the masters here Frazetta, Jeff Jones covers etc.) No fragments should be in these volumes, just the complete stories written by Robert E. Howard, you want to seduce these new guys, not put them off with incomplete stories - that comes later if they really want to become REH fans they can pick up the Del Rey editions.

Third Phase
After the audience is introduced to the original REH and his characters - and only once this has been achieved can they really expand into a live-action or animated series based on Conan or any of the other REH characters.

Anyway, I'm just kinda throwing a few ideas around. But, my main point is that REH fans have been fighting for all these years to get the original yarns, as Howard wrote them. We have finally got there. We should expect the same respect from the movie industry - they have to introduce the 'Worlds of Robert E. Howard' to the audience, let the public know what it is. Then, and only then can they expand on his work with a (original yarns with pastiche) TV series or an Animated series.

[Von K]

Great suggestions there.

The TV route is arguably a better one than the big screen right now imho. There’s more creative control and flexibility to experiment when the budget and expectations are lower. And Game of Thrones, Rome, Spartacus, Vikings, and Last Kingdom etc have likely built a bigger potential audience for it on the small screen. Hollywood seems to be in a state of flux as it adjusts to the way markets are opening up to a potentially global demographic (among other issues). I think that was part of what fueled Universal’s uncertainty with the Legend of Conan. When you're making a movie in today's climate you need a director/filmmaker with enough industry clout to keep studio meddling out of the creative process. Or someone like Marvel's Kevin Feige.

[deepermagic]

I think a Conan show would be good on Netflix. 8-10 episodes could pack a lot of punch. It might be cool to see each "season" find Conan in a different role; a savage, a thief, a pirate, a king, a mercenary, etc. And as much as I think it would be great if they just put an REH story on screen, I also think it would be easier for them to botch it. Might be better to use REH as the main well of inspiration, never straying from his vision of Conan, but with new adventures.

[fernando]

Jason Momoa, Paul Telfer or Hugh Jackman would be, IMO, perfect actors for playing Conan. I personally didn't enjoy the movie Logan (2017) - actually I hated it! -, and I think playing a King Conan would be a good way of HJ's redemption from James Mangold's movie...

[lordyam]

In todays world some changes would have to be made. Vale of Lost Women would need a MASSIVE overhaul, and they may feel pressed to change elements of Frost Giant's daughter (i.e. Conan and Atali have consensual sex or some shit like that)

Ironhand's conan scripts from 20 years ago were quite good as origin tales for Conan spread over multiple movies. I'd rework those into a tv form

I.E: Season 0: Conan Origins

Big Pilot Episode: Like I Claudius Conan only shows up at the very end when he's being born. The rest would have Bolverk as the overhanging threat to the heroes who Conan finally goes up against in the last episode